Falling in Love with Your Best Friend
by Talipatra
Summary: Bella moves in with her cousin Jasper and his group of college roommates. M for language
1. Chapter 1

August

Bella's POV

I looked up at the two story brick house skeptically. It had been my grandparents' house for as long as I could remember and when they finally moved out my aunt and uncle had taken ownership. Their son, my cousin Jasper, was going to college here with his best friend Edward Cullen and girlfriend Alice Brandon, so the three of them had moved in. Uncle Carl was good at construction and renovation type stuff, so they'd installed two more bathrooms and updated the kitchen for the three of them and a roommate they met. Now I was off to college, three years behind them all, and I had chosen a school in the same town as the house to be near family. Mom and Dad were soon off to London for 18 months for Dad's job and everyone felt it would be better for me to be near familiar people.

The house was in Decatur, IL and I was enrolled at Millikin University here. Jasper and Alice were at University of Illinois – Champaign. Edward and the other roommate were both pre-med at University of Illinois – Springfield. Decatur was about halfway between Champaign and Springfield, but it was still about an hour drive for all my roommates to their respective colleges.

I was nervous about it, to be honest. Not the driving, so much, but the roommate situation. I'd only really met Edward once and Alice a few times and I'd never met the other roommate, Emmett Masen. I hoped that they liked me and that we all got along. Otherwise, it would be a really long year.

I hitched my bag up on my shoulder and started up the steps. It had been a long drive from Texas and I was exhausted. I didn't really have the money to get a hotel, so I'd made the 18 hour drive in one stretch, leaving my parents' house at about 6 am. Three stops later, I was here, grateful for GPS. It was almost 2am and I never would have found this place in the dark.

The door opened as I reached the top step and a tall gorgeous guy with shaggy dark bronze hair stood in the doorway. "You must be Bella," he greeted me, reaching for my bag.

I released it happily. "If I must, I must." I grinned up at him. He had friendly green eyes a girl could lose herself in.

"I'm Edward Cullen, Jasper's friend from a million years ago. I think we met once when you visited."

"Probably," I yawned. "I spent most of my time reading while the boys ran off and got into trouble."

He chuckled softly. "Well, we've gotten some better. We don't have to run off to get into trouble anymore."

I grinned up at him and stepped into the well lit living room. It was exactly the way I remembered it.

"Bella!" I was engulfed in an awkward hug by my cousin, Jasper. He was tall, too, though not as tall as Edward, I noticed. His mop of dirty blonde hair was growing out, too. _Must be an Illinois thing_, I thought. "You have more stuff in the car?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. No way would Mom let me leave without a fully stocked kitchen. She knows how much I love to cook. I think she's going to miss that more than anything."

"Sweet, a cook," grinned a good looking boy with dark hair coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of what looked like cereal. He was huge, bigger and broader than the other two guys, but in a purely muscled way. "No more cereal for dinner," he grinned, confirming my suspicions. He set the bowl down on a pool table in what used to be the dining room and crossed the room, his hand out. "Emmett Masen."

"Hi, Bella."

He grinned. "So are you willing to cook for us? Cause I will worship at your feet if you're any good."

I laughed. "Sure, maybe. Can I get my bearings first?"

"Yeah, shithead. Let her breathe a second." I turned to see Alice Brandon, Jasper's girlfriend of the last few years coming out of the small bathroom, a grin on her face. She pulled me into a hug. "How are you, kiddo?"

"Sore," I laughed. "Turns out, 18 hours of driving makes your butt numb." She grinned at me.

"Well, let the guys bring your stuff in and I'll show you what we've done with the place." I nodded and tossed my keys to Edward. He headed outside; Jasper and Emmett close behind him. "You're going to love it here. These guys are the best. Like a bunch of brothers, you know?" I nodded.

The kitchen hadn't changed much since my grandparents occupied the house. The appliances, counters and cabinets had been updated and repainted, but the layout was the same and I noticed there still wasn't a dishwasher. The living room we'd been in was really more of a conversation area; the guys had apparently decided that the perfect place for the entertainment aspect of our lives was downstairs.

I followed Alice down the steep steps to the basement. The old washer and dryer were still here, still working after all these years. There was now a small bedroom at the back for Emmett. Alice explained that since he kept odd hours he could come and go more easily through the basement door and not bother the rest of us. They'd set up a couch, an armchair, and a love seat in a semi-circle with an old coffee table I recognized from Jasper's parents' house and a nice looking entertainment center with a flat screen TV, game system, DVD player, vcr and what looked like a million movies and games.

"Wow." I was impressed.

"Wait until Friday night. Friday is always movie night and Edward just set up the surround sound system. They promise it will blow my panties off." She laughed and led me back up the steps.

The guys were dragging boxes and suitcases in from the car, arguing what should go upstairs and what should stay down.

"Just take suitcases up," ordered Alice. "We'll unpack tomorrow while you are all at work or whatever." I moved to grab a suitcase to take up with me, but Alice smacked my hand. "Let them do their tasks. They're the muscle of the house." Emmett made some kind of barbarian-esque grunt then to prove the point. I laughed and followed Alice upstairs to the second floor.

The main bathroom was at the head of the stairs and across from it was the master bedroom that Alice and Jasper had claimed. I was in the bedroom down the hall on the same side as the bathroom, next to the stairs up to the attic.

There was a third bedroom on this level that was about the a lot smaller than mine and on the same size as the master bedroom. Alice informed me that when parents came, that was her room. None of them knew she and Jasper were sleeping together and she wanted to keep it that way.

My room was a nice sized room. It was a corner room with lots of big windows looking out over the back yard. There was a good sized closet that was cedar lined. I remembered playing hide and go seek with Jasper and Brad and hiding in the closet, smelling the cedar and letting Grandma's old fur coats brush against my face. The room had a full sized bed, a dresser with a mirror, a small desk and chair and nightstands on either side of the bed. The old rag rug was gone, but the lace curtains were still at the windows. The bed was bare, but I'd brought my own bedding. It was in a box somewhere downstairs. I decided I could steal a blanket from somewhere and just sleep on the naked mattress tonight.

Alice and Jasper and I were to share the hall bathroom, which Alice felt was unfair, since the other two got their own bathrooms, but I was fine with it. I missed sharing with Brad, as weird as that was. I stopped in to go to the bathroom while Alice headed downstairs to direct the boys.

It wasn't a large bathroom. It had a sink, a toilet, and a small tub with a shower. There was a closet where towels were stored and a small cabinet had been added over the toilet. I noticed that the old medicine cabinet had been replaced by a newer, larger one. I peeked inside and grinned when I saw that a third of it had been cleared for me. The closet and cabinet over the sink were likewise 1/3 empty.

When I came out of the bathroom, I looked back up the hallway at the door to the attic, curious to see what it looked like now. Last time I'd been up there, it had been divided in two areas: one a storage area for Christmas decorations, china that was rarely used, and old suitcases and boxes, the other an extra guest room that Brad and I had always shared. Jasper and his parents would generally come up for the day or maybe the weekend. When they stayed, we three would camp out on the screened in porch. I shook my head and turned to go back downstairs.

"Where did you pack your bedding?" Alice asked as I came down the stairs. "Is it in a suitcase or a box?"

"Box," I yawned. She looked around at the small pile of boxes around her.

"Any idea which one?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Not a clue. If I can just borrow a blanket, I'll be fine tonight."

"You can sleep in my bed," offered Edward. I looked at him with surprise. "I'm staying over at my girlfriend's tonight. I wanted to be here to meet you," he explained. "I think you'll be ok to sleep in my bed. You don't still pee at night, right?"

I flushed and laughed. "No, I gave that up for Lent this year and it stuck."

He grinned. "Oh, you're going to fit in here great."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked, already heading towards the stairs. "I'm pretty beat and I may just go to sleep now, if y'all don't mind."

"Y'all?" he laughed.

"I'm from Texas. It's a word."

He grinned. "Yeah, I'm sure. Let me grab a couple things."

I waved at Alice and she grinned. "We'll take care of all this in the morning, get some sleep."

"Welcome to the house!" called Emmett as I followed Edward up the stairs.

The attic rooms were pretty much as I remembered, with the exception of the storage room being a bit smaller due to a small bathroom having been installed. It was really small, but it was tidier than I'd expected a bachelor's bathroom to be.

The bedroom was tidy, too. A king sized bed with a simple brown comforter and lots of pillows in white cases, a dresser with a mirror and an assortment of stuff on the top of it as well as a small TV. A desk sat under the small dormer window looking out over the front of the house. It was neat for now, a closed laptop sitting on it.

Edward pulled a backpack out of the closet and stuffed a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and some clean underwear inside it. He grinned at me. "I think I washed the sheets a few weeks ago, so they should be relatively crumb free."

I laughed. "Ok, thanks. I can wash them tomorrow if you want."

He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Nah, its fine. I actually changed them a couple days ago. Rosalie, my girlfriend, complained last time she was here."

I nodded, my face flushing. So they were sleeping together. I shouldn't be shocked by that. Everyone else was three years older except Emmett, and he was still two years older. Plus, Edward was spending what was left of tonight at Rosalie's house.

I followed him back downstairs and went into my room while he continued to the first floor. I dug through my suitcases until I found my toiletries and some pjs and then headed into the bathroom. I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. I shoved my things onto the empty shelf in the closet with the intention to organize later and headed back to my room to change. I braided my hair as I headed upstairs with my phone charger in my teeth. I hadn't called home yet to let them know I'd made it ok and I knew Mom would practically be frantic, but my battery was almost dead. She'd talked to me practically the whole way here.

I settled myself into Edward's bed, surprised at how soft and comfortable it was. Probably due to the influence of Rosalie. I punched the speed dial for my parent's house and closed my eyes while it rang.

"Bella?" Mom answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Mom. Just wanted to let you know I made it ok." I yawned.

"How was the last part of the drive? Did Jasper and the others help you unload? Was everyone nice? How's the house look?"

I laughed. "Mom, calm down. Everything looks good, everyone was nice, the guys all unloaded my stuff, and the drive was fine. I'm exhausted, so I'm going to sleep now."

"Ok, well, write me an email about it all tomorrow, ok? I have meetings and stuff at work all day."

"Ok. Tell Dad I love him."

"Alright sweetie. Give our love to Jasper."

"Will do."

I hung up and turned off the bedside lamp. I snuggled into the pillow and fell asleep faster than I had in a while.

Edward's POV

Jasper and I sat on the couch throwing a ball back and forth. "Dude, when the hell is she supposed to get here already?" I asked with a yawn. "It's almost 2 and I've got to get over to Rosalie's."

He rolled his eyes. "She called from St. Louis about two hours ago, so she should be here any minute. Don't get your panties in a wad. You can just go already. You can meet her again tomorrow."

I scowled at him. "Fucker."

He laughed and started to reply but we heard the sound of a car pulling up in the drive. We both stood up and headed out onto the screened porch to meet her. "She's here," Jasper called over his shoulder to Alice and Emmett.

"I'll be out in a sec," Alice called back from the bathroom.

I studied the pretty girl climbing out of the car. She was tinier than I remembered, but then I hadn't seen her in a while. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a messy bun and there were dark shadows under her dark brown eyes. She hitched her bag up on her shoulder and came up the steps tiredly. I pushed the door open and reached for her bag. "You must be Bella," I grinned at her.

She looked up at me with a killer smile, even in her exhaustion. "If I must, I must." This chick could cause some real serious issues.

"I'm Edward Cullen, Jasper's friend from a million years ago. I think we met once when you visited."

"Probably," she said with a huge yawn. "I spent most of my time reading while the boys ran off and got into trouble."

Once we were inside, Emmett and Alice introduced themselves and Jasper practically mauled her in a bear hug. After talking for a bit, Alice grabbed her to give her the five cent tour while Emmett, Jasper and I unloaded the car.

"Holy shit," gawked Emmett as we approached the loaded down SUV. "Did she leave anything in Texas?"

Jasper laughed. "That sounds like Aunt Renee. She always came up here totally over prepared. I'm sure Bella's got everything she could possibly need and more. But if she's really willing to cook, it's totally worth it."

Emmett rolled his eyes but grabbed a box and headed in. It took us several trips and by the time we were done, the living room looked like a small storage space. She hadn't brought any furniture luckily, but some of those boxes were really fucking heavy. I doubted she'd loaded them herself.

"Ok, so we should probably take some of this shit upstairs," said Jasper, studying the pile. "I think her room is pretty empty, so we should be able to get most of this up there."

"You think all of this goes upstairs?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, why not?"

"Because who the fuck uses a mixer in their bedroom?" demanded Emmett, poking a box with his foot. "If she's got kitchen shit in here she doesn't need that in her room."

"Well, she can bring it down or we can. It's not a big deal."

"I don't want to carry shit up and down stairs just for shits and giggles," I protested.

"Just take the suitcases upstairs," barked Alice's voice. She came into the living room, her hands on her hips. "We'll unpack tomorrow while you all are at work or whatever." Bella reached for a suitcase and Alice slapped her hand. "Let them do their tasks. They're the muscle of the house."

Emmett gave a Conan the Barbarian grunt to prove her point, making Bella laugh as she and Alice headed upstairs. We each grabbed suitcases and headed up behind them. She must have packed every single article of clothing she owned or something. It took a couple trips but we finally got it all upstairs.

"Ok, let's find her bedding," Alice instructed, looking around at the piles of boxes still in the living room. I nodded and started to open a box when I heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Where did you put your bedding? Is it in a suitcase or a box?" asked Alice.

Bella yawned again. "Box." She looked around at the piles discouraged.

"Any idea which one?"

She laughed again and shook her head. "Not a clue. If I can just borrow a blanket, I'll be fine tonight."

"You can sleep in my bed," I heard myself saying.

Everyone looked at me with surprise. I didn't like having other people in my bed, except Rosalie and even then it was iffy.

She put up a little bit of resistance, but not much really. I led her upstairs and packed a few things to take to Rosalie's. She looked around the room with curiosity. It was weird how _un_weird it felt having her up here. For some reason, I had this urge to protect her and take care of her. I had to shake myself.

After some more teasing, I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed downstairs. Alice and Jasper were still up, organizing the boxes a little better. Alice looked up with raised eyebrows.

"You're letting her sleep in your precious bed?"

"Sure, why not?"

She snorted. "You don't let anyone in that bed except Rosalie and her only because you're fucking her."

I rolled my eyes. "If lots of other people slept in my bed, the indentations in the mattress wouldn't be right. I don't think she weighs enough to dent pudding."

Jasper laughed. "Yeah, she's smaller than I remember, but I haven't seen her since Christmas two years ago since we all went skiing last year."

"Has she been sick?" asked Alice curiously.

He shook his head. "No, I think she's just stressed out a little. Only child now and all that. Lots of expectations to live up to."

I grunted. "I know how that is." I checked my watch. "Shit, it's 3. Rosalie's gonna be pissed. See you guys tomorrow."

They called their goodbyes as I ran out the door. I tossed my bag in the backseat and hurried to Rosalie's house. Rosalie. There was a never ending mistake.

I knew my friends wondered why I was with her and sometimes I wondered myself. Then I remembered how fantastic the sex was at times. It more than made up for the shittier times and the shitty personality. Plus, she was hot and there was history. Shitty history, but history none-the-less.

I pulled up in front of her house and sighed inwardly. "What the fuck am I doing?" I muttered out loud as I headed up the steps. I knocked, again pissed that she wouldn't just give me a fucking key.

She opened the door and scowled at me. "What the fuck? It's 3 am. I thought you were going to be here two hours ago."

I leaned down to kiss her but she turned her head so I got her cheek. "She got in late and we helped her unload. I would have called but I was afraid you were asleep." What bullshit. I just hadn't thought to do it.

She snorted but stood aside as I came in the door. She locked it behind me then led the way to her bedroom.

Why the hell she needed such a big house to live in by herself I didn't know but she did. She had a three bedroom, two and a half bath all to herself, all fully furnished.

Her bedroom was basically the entire attic. She'd put a California king at one end with lots of frou-frou girly shit all over the place. I hated it. The guys thought I hadn't moved in because she hadn't wanted me to. It'd been a mutual thing. I didn't want to either.

Everything was routine with us at this point. Three years in a relationship based on sex meant we pretty much had that down pat. I had to shower before and she showered after. The blankets were already pulled back on the bed so as not to get in our way. She sat down on the edge of the bed and swallowed a small blue pill.

"Birth control," she explained. I nodded as I headed into the bathroom. No way did I want a kid right now, especially not with her.

Tonight was not a swinging from the chandeliers night. I was asleep before she got out of the shower.

***

Tali: So, let me know if you think I should keep on with this. Is it good/bad/horrible/wonderful? Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Bella's POV

The next morning, I woke up and stretched, at first not getting that I wasn't home in Texas. I froze when I saw the picture of a strange blonde girl on the nightstand. I sat up slowly, the previous night flooding back to me. I yawned and padded over to the picture. This must be Rosalie.

She was pretty, I had to give her that. She looked like a human Barbie doll. Long blond hair, big brown eyes, perfect figure and flawless skin. She had an air of snootiness about her that came through the photo. It was one of those professional photos styled to look casual.

I put the picture back and went to the bathroom. When I came out, I quickly made the bed up and grabbed my phone and charger before heading down to my room. I wanted to take a shower but realized I hadn't found my towels. I wasn't comfortable just using Jasper or Alice's towels, so I went to dig through boxes in the living room.

Alice was sitting on the couch reading a book when I descended. She looked up at me with a grin. "Finally. I thought you died or something."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "I was tired."

"Must have been. You slept for 14 hours."

I stared at her in shock, then looked at the clock on the mantle. Sure enough, it read 4. "Oh wow. I'm so sorry. I meant to get up earlier."

She waved her hand dismissively. "You needed the sleep. So, can we go through the boxes now? I love unpacking." She was practically bouncing in her seat.

I laughed. "Yeah, I need some towels so I can take a shower. I'm sure I don't smell all that pleasant."

"Please, you're not as bad as those three when they decide to play football or something."

I grinned and dug through a couple boxes. I found the brand new pots and pans that Mom had sent along, my bedding, books, movies, school supplies, blankets, miscellaneous decorating stuff Mom had purchased for me, the electronics Dad had insisted on, but no towels.

"Maybe they're in a suitcase," Alice suggested. I sighed and headed upstairs, taking the bedding with me.

We went through all the suitcases, pawing through jeans, t-shirts, skirts, dressy clothes, shoes, finding almost everything except towels.

"I'm totally borrowing your clothes sometime," Alice said, holding a strapless red dress up against herself as she looked at herself in the mirror on the back of the closet door. "This is way cute."

I rolled my eyes. "I may be cutting it up for a towel if we don't find them soon."

"Did you leave them somewhere?" she laughed.

I shook my head. "I remember putting the box in the pile to go in the car." I sighed and sat back. "Is there a Wal-Mart near here?"

"Fuck that. Just use our towels. I wash them at least once a week. Sometimes more in the summer. Get your clothes pulled out and I'll go grab some clean ones for you." She squeezed my arm as she passed me.

I pulled out a pair of jean shorts and a tank top. Unpacking and organizing had a tendency to be hot work. My toiletries were already in the bathroom, so I just headed down the hall. Alice had put two towels on the toilet, so I shut the door and peeled off my dirty clothes.

I stood under the hot water for a while, letting it wash the stink off me before washing my hair. I slicked conditioner through it to sit while I washed my body and shaved. I rinsed and climbed out carefully. It would be beyond embarrassing to slip and fall in the shower my first day in the house. I'd save that for another time, if I had to do it at all.

I grabbed the top towel to wrap around myself when the door flew open and Edward rushed in. He froze and our eyes locked. I clutched the towel to my chest, suddenly aware of how naked I was.

"Shit, sorry. I'm hiding from Emmett. I accidentally scratched his favorite CD and he's going to shit himself…" he trailed off and his eyes trailed over my body. My face turned red and I was sure a lot of exposed skin was red, too. I hastily wrapped the towel around myself. He grinned and backed out of the bathroom.

A moment later I heard thundering footsteps in the hallway as he ran for the attic and Emmett was close behind him, shouting something about retribution. I secured the towel around myself and peeked out the door. The coast was clear for now. I darted down the hall and into my room, pushing the door shut behind me. I dressed quickly, twisting my wet hair into a makeshift bun as I headed back downstairs. I could hear shouting above me as I started down the stairs.

Alice looked up, shaking her head. "Goofballs," she laughed. "I took the liberty of unpacking and washing your cooking stuff so you can make dinner tonight."

I grinned at her. "What do we have to cook?"

She shrugged. "Let's see."

We found some chicken breasts and a box of instant rice and some frozen broccoli, so I set about making sautéed chicken with some of the herbs they had on hand and a hollandaise for the broccoli. It didn't take long with Alice's help and within about 20 minutes, I was setting the food out on the counter.

"Dinner!" shouted Alice. There was more thunder as Emmett and Edward started chasing each other downstairs. They tumbled into the kitchen, Edward nearly taking me down with him.

He wrapped his arms around me and spun us around to keep from falling onto the floor. Emmett caught himself in the doorframe and started laughing. Edward grinned down at me and released me as my face flared up again.

The guys dug in, moaning appreciatively with every bite. Alice grinned, too. "Damn girl," she sighed, pushing back from the table after finishing her plate, "you are an amazing cook. I vote you become the house chef."

"I second that," Emmett managed around a mouthful of food. Edward nodded, his mouth too full to even attempt a response.

I rolled my eyes. "If you think that's good, wait until I actually have time to plan something." I stood up to clear the table, but Alice grabbed my arm.

"You cooked, I assisted, these punks can clean up." She grinned pointedly at the boys. "Make up a plate for Jasper and put it in the fridge while Bella and I unpack."

She dragged me into the living room to start going through boxes in a little more organized fashion while the guys worked on cleaning up the kitchen. It took a while, but we managed to get all the rest of the kitchen stuff unpacked and into the kitchen for the boys to wash up. Edward shot me a dirty look as I brought in the last armful.

"Ok, seriously, the food was the shit, but what the hell?"

I laughed. "If I'm going to cook, I need utensils, right?"

He held up a device questioningly. "What the fuck is this for?"

I laughed again. I reached past him and picked up the other part of the device. "It's a hamburger press. I make great burgers."

He grinned down at me. "I look forward to testing that theory."

I chuckled and headed back into the living room. Alice and I worked until Jasper came home, then we took a break and the three of us sat and chatted. He balanced the plate of food on his lap, making appreciative noises while he ate it. When he was finished, he washed up his dishes and the two of them headed upstairs to go to bed. I realized with surprise that it was almost midnight. I headed upstairs after them to work on the suitcases in my room.

It wasn't too long before I was worn out. I yawned and stretched. Unpacking was exhausting. I looked longingly at my bed, but it was covered in clothes I needed to put on hangers. The whole room looked like a disaster area. I changed into my pjs, grabbed my blanket and headed downstairs. Everyone else was already in bed, so I decided to just sleep on the couch in the living room. I settled in and fell asleep quickly.

I woke up when I hit the floor a couple hours later. I groaned and put my hands over my face. At least no one had seen me. I heard a low chuckle and I felt my face burn. I moved my hands and peered through the darkness. Someone tall, so one of the guys.

"You ok?" It was Edward.

"Yeah," I rasped. "I just fell off the couch, that's all."

"Yeah, I noticed." He settled himself on the couch and grinned down at me through the dim light.

I rolled my eyes and pulled myself up off the floor and back onto the couch. I sighed and rested my head on the back of the couch. "So you've seen me in a couple of interesting positions now. How do you think our relationship will proceed from here?"

He laughed. "Well, we'll either become good friends, or have that whole awkward 'Shit I saw you naked' vibe thing going on." I nodded and blushed again. Not for the first time, I hated my complexion. "I'm thinking good friends. I can be cool about the whole naked thing."

"Thanks," I muttered.

"So why are you sleeping on the couch? What's wrong with the bed in your room?"

"It's covered in my stuff."

"So why didn't you sleep in my bed again?"

"I figured you were probably using it."

He chuckled. "So? I've already seen you naked. It's the logical next step, right?" I hit him with my pillow. He laughed and caught it, then pulled me against his chest in a one armed hug. "Seriously, just come on. I'll behave."

"What are you doing down here anyway?"

"I got thirsty and I didn't want lukewarm tap water."

I rolled my eyes and yawned again. The idea of sleeping in Edward's bed had certain appeal. I looked up at him for a moment. "Oh all right, but keep your hands and appendages to yourself."

He laughed and released me. "I'll do my best."

We walked upstairs and Edward climbed in to the already rumpled sheets. I crawled in on the other side. We lay in silence for a bit before I could tell from his breathing that Edward was asleep. I was asleep shortly after.

Edward's POV

I had the early shift at the music store, 8 to 4, and I was dragging ass the whole day. Less than four hours of sleep was not a good thing. My temper was short and I almost bitch slapped a teenager who was raving about Britney Spears. Fuck Britney Spears.

On the way home, I jammed a cd in the player in my car, something Emmett had loaned me. It was some punk/alternative rock thing that was actually pretty cool. I'd have to put it on my iPod.

When I got home, I popped it out to take upstairs and rip. I grabbed my bag from the backseat and started up the stairs. I tripped on the steps and nearly face-planted. I managed to catch myself but the cd ate it, hitting the steps and bouncing down to the sidewalk.

"Shit," I groaned, dropping my back pack inside the door and trotting back down the stairs to pick up the cd. I brushed off the dirt carefully. I grimaced when I saw that it was definitely scratched. I headed inside with a sigh. Emmett was sitting on the couch reading a magazine when I entered the living room.

He looked up with a grin. "Hey, fucker. How was Rosalie's?"

"Same old," I shrugged. "Here's your cd back. It's pretty good." I lobbed it to him. He caught it between his hands.

"Pretty good? This is the shit!" he said indignantly. I shrugged and headed up the stairs. It was only a matter of seconds since he was putting it in the CD player on the table. I raced up the last few steps when I heard the sounds of skipping.

I burst into the hall bathroom and was met with an amazing sight: Bella stepping out of the shower full on naked and wet. We both stared at each other for a beat, startled.

"Shit, sorry. I'm hiding from Emmett. I accidentally scratched his favorite cd and he's going to shit himself…" I trailed off as my eyes involuntarily trailed down from her wide brown eyes to the full perky breasts, flat stomach, amazing hips and fantastic legs. Most of the skin above her ribcage flushed an amazing shade of pink as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself awkwardly.

I grinned and backed out of the room. I could hear Emmett coming so I sprinted for the stairs to the attic. That was definitely an image I would not forget.

Emmett caught up to me upstairs, angrily waving the CD at me. "You're replacing this asshole," he shouted.

I laughed. I didn't have a problem with that, but I did want to fuck with him first. "How do I know it wasn't fucked up to begin with?" I shouted back at him. "That shit could have messed up my cd player."

He threw the cd at me, missing by a mile. "It was fine until I gave it to you. That's the last time I give you anything original."

I rolled my eyes. "Dude, I'll totally replace it, just chill the fuck out."

He scowled at me, suddenly realizing I was messing with him. "Bitch."

I grinned. "Yeah, you know you want me."

He laughed. "I want you to buy me a new fucking CD."

"Will it make you feel better if I burn those CD's for you now?"

"It might help," he said begrudgingly. I grabbed the laptop and some blank CD's and sat down on the bed, pulling up my music library. He stretched out across my bed to watch.

"So, Bella's pretty hot," he said casually. "Think I should make a move?"

"No, I think if you did Jasper would find a way to castrate you."

"Probably. He's actually pretty protective of her. Must be because the brother is dead."

"Maybe," I said distractedly

"Are you gonna make a move? If you go for her, I get dibs on Rosalie. Something about a bitchy woman just turns me on."

"Dinner!" I heard Alice bellow from downstairs.

I rolled my eyes and thumped him on the forehead as I stood up to go downstairs.

"Hey, that was uncalled for," he groused, rolling off the bed and starting towards me.

I raced down the stairs to the first floor and around the corner into the kitchen. I nearly knocked Bella over so I wrapped my arms around her and spun her around so she wouldn't fall. I grinned down at her and let her go when her face turned pink again.

We sat down and dug in to the most amazing chicken dinner I'd had in a while. Mom wasn't much of a cook, preferring to do it only on holidays. Alice ordered Emmett and me to clean up while she and Bella worked on unpacking. We happily obliged.

"So…do I get my replacement tomorrow?"

I rolled my eyes. "Next time I'm at work." I looked up as Bella brought in an armful of kitchen stuff.

"This all needs to be washed," she explained apologetically. I grinned and gestured for her to drop it in the sinkful of soapy water.

Several trips later I shook my head. "Ok, seriously, the food was the shit, but what the hell?"

She laughed. "If I'm going to cook, I need utensils, right?"

I held up something that looked like a CD with a handle on it. "What the fuck is this for?"

She laughed and reached past me and picked up a flat round bowl. "It's a hamburger press. I make great burgers."

I grinned down at her. "I look forward to testing that theory." It was completely wrong how much I enjoyed her pressing up against me like she had when she'd reached past me. She probably hadn't even noticed.

When Emmett and I finished cleaning we headed downstairs to play video games for a while before finally calling it a night. As I passed through the living room, Bella and Alice were still unpacking. Neither of them noticed me going through.

I woke up a couple hours later, seriously thirsty. I grumbled and headed downstairs. I really fucking needed to get a refrigerator upstairs for drinks.

I paused in the living room, startled to see Bella asleep on the couch. Her long legs were wrapped around the blanket and her shirt was riding up showing the most tantalizing sliver of skin. She rolled over in her sleep and hit the floor. She groaned and covered her face with her hands. I laughed softly, causing her to jump and look up at me.

"Are you ok?"

She had a crazy sexy just-woke-up voice that made my dick twitch as she assured me she was and explained why she was downstairs. I thought her eyes would pop out of her head when I suggested she just sleep with me, since I'd already seen her naked, but she begrudgingly followed me upstairs. She was exhausted and sleeping on a couch obviously wasn't cutting it.

I crawled back into my spot in the bed and she carefully crawled in on the other side. I fell back asleep pretty quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella's POV

I woke up feeling something firm against my chest and something heavy over my side. I opened my eyes slowly and realized with a start that I was snuggled up against Edward's chest, his arm around my waist pulling me closer. My top leg was thrown over his legs and his hand was tangled in my hair. He was waking up at the same time. We stared at each other for a moment, then rocketed apart like opposite ends of a magnet. We stood on opposite sides of the bed staring at each other.

"What the fuck happened last night?" he asked bewildered. "Last I remember was bringing you up here to sleep in a real bed. Did we…?"

I shook my head. "We're both still fully dressed," I pointed out. Not to mention that I was a virgin and would definitely remember that changing. He nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked disoriented and a little freaked out. I suddenly noticed a rather pronounced erection tenting the front of his boxers. My face turned bright red. "I'll just be going now," I muttered, heading downstairs as quickly as I could.

We avoided eye contact the rest of the morning. It was awkward enough waking up next to a guy I'd only known for two days, cuddled up against him. Throw a raging boner in and it got incredibly uncomfortable. Shortly after lunch, he headed out for his shift at the music store downtown and I headed to the grocery store. Alice tagged along since Jasper was at his job at the restaurant and Emmett was out looking for a job.

"So, what's up with you and Edward?" she demanded as soon as we were buckled into her car.

I flushed. "What makes you think something's up?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible.

She laughed. "Because you're blushing like crazy and you two couldn't look at each other this morning. Did you hook up or something?"

I groaned. "No, we just slept together last night."

She almost drove up on a curb. "Shit, Bella, I don't know about Texas, but that's the definition of hooking up around here."

I laughed. "No, I mean we _slept_ together…fully clothed, no funny business, just sleeping."

"Oh." She looked disappointed. "I've always wondered what it would be like to fuck him."

"Why don't you just ask Rosalie?"

She rolled her eyes. "You haven't met the queen bitch yet. She's not the kind to dish about that kind of thing. She mostly just snaps her fingers and he goes running. She's awful." She shuddered. "They've been together since freshman year, though, so there must be something else. I mean, Edward isn't the kind of guy to just settle."

I nodded. "Why didn't she move in with y'all, too?"

"She has her own house and can't stand the thought of roommates. She didn't even want Edward to move in with her. I think it's dumb, he spends most nights over there anyway, but he still packs a bag every time. She won't let him leave anything there and she doesn't leave anything at our house for the one or two times a month she stays over." She shot me a sideways look. "I doubt she'll stay anymore now that you're here. She's going to hate you."

"What, seriously? Why?"

"She'll see you as a threat. She's incredibly insecure. Don't feel bad, she hates all females."

I laughed as we pulled into the parking lot. We took our time and gathered several ingredients for the dishes we were interested in me cooking the next week. The boys hadn't voiced any opinions, but Alice was determined to have a roommate meeting over dinner soon to establish some ground rules and felt the way to accomplish that was by feeding them well. Then she'd let them have opinions.

As we were checking out, a woman in her 30's smiled at us. "Hi Alice," she said with a smile. "How're you? Back to school soon?"

"Hi Anne, I'm good! How're you?"

She sighed and shook her head. "My nanny quit this week, right before school started. Luckily we're going on vacation this weekend, but I'm desperate. Do you know anyone who's reliable and good with kids?"

Alice shook her head apologetically. "I can't think of anyone off the top of my head, sorry."

"I'm good with kids," I jumped in before I could think enough to be nervous. "What's the job like?"

"Oh, sorry, Anne, this is Bella Swan, our new roommate. Bella, this is Anne Bonner. I watched her kids a couple years ago before I got into tutoring."

Anne smiled at me. "Hi, Bella. Mostly just watching my two kids after school until I can get home. Pretty much just making sure they get their homework done and get a snack."

I nodded. "Where do you live?"

"I'm right next door to you kids, the red brick house."

"Oh, cool. That makes for an easy commute."

She chuckled. "So when can you come over and meet the kids?"

I grinned. "How's tomorrow?"

"Perfect. Stop by around noon? We're heading to the airport at 2 and that'll give us time to chat."

"Great, see you then!"

Alice had already checked out and was waiting for me. I waved and trotted after her, a big grin on my face.

"So, how are the kids?" I asked as we loaded the groceries. "Are they brats? Why would the nanny leave?"

She chuckled. "Nah, they're good kids. It's a boy and a girl, Hillary and Todd. She's 12 and he's 10. They're just…rambunctious." I raised my eyebrows at her and she laughed. "Anne's their step mom and they like to pull pranks, but they're really sweet kids. I'd do it but I'm usually busy with tutoring sessions in the afternoons." We climbed in the car and headed back towards the house.

After unloading the groceries, we set about making that evening's meal, tacos. We knew the guys would enjoy it and in an attempt at goodwill, we tried to clean up some as we worked.

The guys trooped in as the meat and onions were finishing. Jasper caught Alice up in a hug and kissed her. I felt a pang of jealousy as I turned to pull the sour cream out of the fridge.

Edward hooked an arm around my shoulder and pulled me against him in a friendly hug. "Do we need to talk about earlier or can we just pretend that yesterday's incidents never happened?" he asked in a low voice, grabbing the cheese and tomatoes.

I grinned up at him. "I think we can pretend it didn't happen."

"Awesome," he chuckled softly.

"What are you two ladies whispering about," demanded Emmett as we all took our seats around the kitchen table.

"About how dreamy Edward thinks you are," I quipped. "He hungers for your kiss."

Edward snorted into his beer and shook his head. "Actually, it's Bella hungering for your man-flesh we were discussing. She's ready for you to be her first college fling."

Emmett grinned at my red face. "Anytime, sweet girl."

I rolled my eyes. "Can we just eat?"

Jasper laughed as he filled his plate at the counter and took his seat. We ate, joking and laughing, teasing each other like old friends. I'd only been here a couple days and I already felt incredibly comfortable with these knuckleheads. I couldn't have asked for better roommates.

As we cleared the table, Alice cleared her throat. "I think now would be a great time for a roommate meeting," she announced.

Jasper rolled his eyes but grabbed new beers for everyone. I grinned to myself. Having of-age roommates was great. Alice retrieved a notepad with some topics of discussion she'd written down. Emmett unscrewed the cap from his bottle and took a swig while Jasper took his seat again and looked at Alice expectantly.

"I hereby call this roommate meeting to order," Alice announced, banging her bottle of beer against the table. "I want to welcome Bella, our newest roommate."

I rolled my eyes and waved at the group. Emmett grinned. "So what, this is some kind of business meeting now?" he laughed.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine, you think you can do it better?" she motioned for him to go.

He grinned. "So, ok, welcome Bella. We need to talk about division of chores, I guess. And rules for guests? I don't really know."

Alice smiled triumphantly. "Rules for cohabiting, asshat."

He made a face at her. "Ok. What do you suggest, your highness?"

"I like to cook," I jumped in, hoping to keep things moving along. "I don't mind doing that most nights if someone else will clean up after."

"The rest of us can take turns doing that," put in Jasper, seeing my motive. "I don't mind washing dishes once in a while." The others nodded.

"The three of us can take turns keeping our bathroom clean," added Alice, writing everything down quickly. "And all five of us are in charge of keeping the public rooms clean: living room, media room, kitchen, downstairs bathroom." There were nods all around.

"What about guests?" asked Edward, sitting back in his chair and taking a pull on his beer.

"I think its fine to bring people over, but if you're bringing extra mouths to feed, let me know so I can make enough food."

We quickly agreed on a bill payment strategy (money in envelopes would be placed in the drawer in the small table in the kitchen no less than a week before the bills were due), grocery shopping (we'd keep a list on the fridge and Alice and I would shop once a week), and a cleaning schedule (the guys had the kitchen, Alice and I would take care of vacuuming and sweeping and we'd all pick up after ourselves.) Alice decided that she wanted to have a roommate meeting at least once a month and since the rest of us couldn't think of a good enough reason not to, it was decided that we would.

Edward's POV

I woke up with something incredibly soft and warm pressed up against me that smelled so fucking unbelievably good. It was draped all over me and it made the typical morning wood harder than usual.

I slowly opened my eyes and froze when I saw Bella's looking back at me.

I practically threw her away from me as I leapt out of bed. I stared at her then down at the bed. It didn't look like anything had really happened, but I had to be sure. I couldn't remember anything past bringing her upstairs and I sincerely hoped I'd remember sex with her.

"What the fuck happened last night?" I demanded. "Last I remember was bringing you up here to sleep in a real bed. Did we…?"

Her face flared up and she shook her head emphatically, pointing out that we were both still fully dressed. I didn't want to point out that I'd managed sex that way before, but she seemed pretty confident. Her eyes strayed down to my crotch and her face turned bright red.

"I'll just be going now," she muttered, practically tripping over herself in her haste to get downstairs.

I hid out in my room for a while, showering and getting dressed slowly. I even cleaned up and made the bed, something I didn't do that often.

I headed downstairs and she was in the kitchen, so I immediately headed down to the basement. This was fucking ridiculous but I wasn't ready to talk about this. My damn promise to myself to always talk shit through with my friends would force me to confront it later, but not right now.

"What the fuck is your problem?" demanded Emmett when he beat me again in some lame ass fight.

I shook my head. "I'm just…distracted."

He quirked an eyebrow. "It doesn't have anything to do with that fine piece of freshman ass upstairs does it?"

I scowled at him and punched him in the arm. "First of all, fuck you. Secondly, don't talk about her like that. She's not like the girls you usually fuck."

"True dat," he sighed. "She's better. She cooks."

I rolled my eyes and kicked his ass in the game. "There's more to it asshole. She's sweet; she's like the kind of girl your mom always hopes you marry."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "I thought you just met her."

"I've known _of_ her for a while. She's Jasper's cousin," I explained with a shrug.

I managed to avoid Bella the rest of the day until I headed out to work. I had a short shift, 1 to 6, so I was home by dinner. I worked up the courage to say something to her on the drive home.

When I walked in the door, I could smell something awesome cooking. Jasper was bounding up the steps behind me.

"Hey, how was work?" I asked, holding the door for him.

He grimaced. "I fucking hate waiting tables. Everyone's an asshole these days."

I grinned at him as we trooped into the kitchen. Jasper grabbed Alice and spun her around with a giant kiss. I had a sudden urge to do that to Bella. She was bent over pulling something out of the fridge so I hooked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against me in a one-armed hug instead. A full hug would probably wake up lower parts of my anatomy.

"Do we need to talk about earlier or can we just pretend that yesterday's events never happened?" I murmured against her hair. Fuck it smelled good. I grabbed bowls of cheese and tomatoes out of the refrigerator.

She grinned up at me. "I think we can pretend it didn't happen."

I laughed softly. "Awesome." She was my new favorite roommate. It wasn't quite how I'd imagined that conversation going but it was good. Pain free. Plus I got to feel her against me again.


	4. Chapter 4

Bella's POV

I woke up at a reasonable hour the next day. Edward and Jasper were gone to work and Alice and Emmett were hanging out in the basement playing Guitar Hero. I showered and dressed, grabbing a bowl of cereal as I joined them downstairs.

Emmett was going nuts trying to keep up with Alice. I'd never seen a girl who was as good as she was.

"What's cookin' good lookin'?" she asked, not looking away from the screen."

"Not much," I said, taking a bite. "Hanging out until I go next door to meet the kids."

"So you don't cook breakfast, just awesome regular foods?" asked Emmett curiously.

I grinned. "I totally cook breakfast, but no one was around and I didn't see the point of doing so for just me. Plus, I love Lucky Charms."

He laughed. "Awesome. It's the best cereal, really." He scowled at the screen. "Shit, Alice, cut me some slack. I'm going to be a surgeon, I need my hands!"

She laughed. "Slutdonut."

I snorted, almost spraying cereal across the room. "Slutdonut? What kind of insult is that?"

"Oh, it's our thing," Alice laughed. "Take a derogatory name for a person, usually female, and pair it with a baked good. Edward came up with it first: hocake."

I laughed. "Wow, so bitchbiscuit would work?"

"Totally."

I watched for a while until it was time for me to go next door. I called my goodbye as I headed upstairs to rinse out my bowl.

I pulled on my tennis shoes and headed across the lawn and up the steps. I paused a moment to smooth my hair before ringing the doorbell. I hear a dog barking inside and a moment later the door opened.

It was everything I could do not to drool. The man who opened the door was a total Adonis. He wasn't as tall as Edward, but he had beautiful blond hair and incredible hazel eyes. He was probably the best looking man I'd ever seen in my entire life.

"Um…hi. I'm Bella?" I asked, gesturing vaguely in the direction of our house.

He grinned. "Hi, Anne said you were coming over to meet the kids. Come on in," he stepped back and opened the door. "I'm Robert Bonner, Anne's husband and dad to the thundering horde you're about to hear."

True to his word, a moment later I heard the rumble of footsteps overhead followed by tromping on the stairs. A moment later, two blond children stumbled into the room.

The girl was taller with her father's hazel eyes and a cute button nose. Her long hair was in two French braids on either side of her head. She smiled up at me angelically but I could see the impish side in her. The boy was almost a carbon copy of his father but with blue eyes. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks and was missing his two front teeth.

"I'm Todd," he said confidently, sticking out his hand.

"I'm Bella," I replied. I looked at the girl. "You must be Hillary."

She grinned. "Are you our new nanny?"

"I sure hope so. Can we hang out a little and see if we get along?"

"Do you like Hannah Montana?" she asked.

"No one likes that but you," snorted Todd. "What about SpongeBob? He's wicked cool."

I laughed. "I'm not really familiar with either one, but I'm willing to learn."

Todd lunged forward and grabbed my hand and began dragging me towards the stairs. Hillary was close behind. I looked over my shoulder at Robert and grinned. He waved as I disappeared up the stairs.

The Bonner house was almost exactly like ours, except larger and it looked like they'd done the same things along with a few more updates. The upstairs hallway and bedrooms, what I saw anyway, were really nicely decorated. The attic was fully finished like ours, but much nicer. This was clearly the kids' area.

It was all one large open area. There were toys stored neatly at one end with a big table and a couple chairs at the other end. A small half bath and a wet bar area had been added, too. Todd showed me all over the attic, pointing out the juice boxes and healthier snacks in the fridge and cabinets and his favorite books on the shelves. Hillary grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the small entertainment area. She pushed me backwards onto the couch and pressed play on a remote, starting a video of what I soon discovered was Hannah Montana.

We watched an episode, but I didn't hear much of it since Hillary was busy explaining everything to me. When it ended, Todd jumped up and put on a SpongeBob movie. I had to admit, SpongeBob was pretty hilarious and I laughed all the way through it.

"Are you kids thirsty? Are you allowed to have a drink right now?" I asked when the movie ended.

Todd sat up and nodded. "Yeah, we just aren't allowed to get it ourselves without permission. Mom doesn't like us to drink lots of sugar."

I nodded and looked over at Hillary who was on my other side. "Are you thirsty?"

She nodded. "Can I have a Capri Sun? Those are my favorite."

"Me too!" said Todd excitedly.

I grinned and got up and retrieved three Capri Suns. I poked the straws through and handed them to the kids. We sat and sucked happily, Todd taking a few breaks to tell me about their dog, Buster. He wasn't allowed upstairs anymore because he peed on the carpet. We talked about school and their friends and hobbies. Hillary was taking ballet and piano lessons and Todd was doing soccer and guitar. They were both in swimming.

"Kids, it's time to go," a voice called from the bottom of the steps. Hillary scowled but stood up anyway, followed by Todd and then me. We threw our empty drink pouches in a small trashcan as we trooped downstairs. Anne was standing at the foot of the stairs, a smile on her face. "So, how'd it go?" she asked perkily.

I grinned. "I think it was ok. What do you think?" I looked down at the kids.

"I like her. I want her to come back," announced Todd. Hillary nodded.

"She's better than the last one. She like SpongeBob and Hannah Montana and reading and all the same stuff we do."

Anne chuckled and looked up at me. "So, you want the job?"

I grinned. "When do you want me to start?"

"We're going to Chicago for the last weekend of summer. I'd love if you could start on Monday."

I nodded. "Sure, no problem."

We quickly went over the details. I would be put on the list at the kids' exclusive private school so I could pick them up after they got out of class at 3, then we'd come home and do homework or we'd go to lessons. I'd stay with the kids at the house on days they didn't have lessons until Anne or Robert got home between 5 and 6. On occasion, they wanted me to watch the kids in the evenings or on the weekends, but I'd always have plenty of notice for that. The best part of it all was, for around 10 hours of work a week, they were going to pay me $300. I was definitely ok with that.

"I've never seen them take to someone as quickly as they took to you," Robert remarked as I stood outside with him and the kids while Anne went through the house checking lights and faucets. He pulled a key off his ring and handed it to me. "They sure like you a lot, so they shouldn't give you too much trouble. We give you permission to discipline how you see fit, too, so don't feel like we're holding you back. Well, within reason." I nodded, hating the idea of having to discipline them, but knowing it would inevitably come up. "That's a key to the house, can you check on it for us this weekend?"

"Sure, no problem," I smiled up at him. He was dazzling. "Should I leave it somewhere or just give it back to you later?"

"Keep it, you'll need it with the kids."

I flushed. "Oh yeah."

He chuckled as Anne came out then. She smiled at us. "We all set?" He and I nodded. "Great! We need to get on the road. Thanks so much, Bella!"

They loaded in and headed out. Todd and Hillary waved excitedly from the back seat as the car headed off down the narrow brick street. I waved back and headed into my house.

I went back down to the basement. Alice and Emmett were still in a death match tournament. Alice was winning, much to Emmett's annoyance. I plopped down on the couch next to them and sighed.

"Alice, you did not tell me that the dad is totally doable."

She grinned. "That was my little surprise to you. He's totally a dilf."

"Dude, uncool," muttered Emmett. "Stop trying to gross me out."

"I'm not trying to gross you out. Dr. Willis is totally bangable," commented Alice, going crazy with the buttons on the plastic guitar.

I rolled my eyes and settled on the couch behind them, singing along with the songs I knew. Edward and Jasper showed up a little while later and joined me on the couch, laughing at the antics of the two playing. Emmett swapped out with Jasper finally, and Emmett dropped onto the couch next to me.

"You know, you're not half bad. We should totally get Rock Band," he grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes. "I am so uncoordinated; you don't want me playing video games."

"That's the beauty of it," he said enthusiastically. "You can just sing while we do the guitars and drums."

Edward grinned. "Yeah, surely you wouldn't fall on your ass just standing and singing," he teased, poking me in the side.

I laughed. "I do it all the time, I've just been super careful the last few days."

He laughed at me, shaking his head.

Their weekly ritual on Friday nights was pizza, beer, and movies. While Jasper and Alice played, Edward headed upstairs to order the pizza and Emmett and I followed to get plates and napkins. I grabbed five plates and set them on the table.

"We need six, Rosalie's coming," said Edward, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder as he rummaged through the coupon drawer.

"Oh, cool, I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Emmett rolled his eyes and grabbed the stack of plates before heading downstairs.

Alice had picked out the movie for the week. It was some scary movie from the 70's, _The Changeling_, and she was really excited about it. Jasper had seen it and assured us it would scare us shitless. While we waited for both Rosalie and the pizza, the tournament continued. I wondered if it was a regular occurrence to have 12 hour video game marathon sessions.

Finally the doorbell rang and Edward and I went upstairs to grab the food. I took the stack of boxes while Edward paid.

As the pizza guy was driving off, Edward's phone chirped. He answered it, rolling his eyes.

"Hey babe, where are you?" he listened for a bit. "It's a scary movie, _The Changeling_. Jasper and Alice said it's really good." I motioned that I was going to head downstairs. He nodded. "Yeah, of course I'll sit next to you."

Once I was downstairs, I set the pizzas on the coffee table and we quickly served ourselves, digging in while we waited for Rosalie and Edward to join us. We were almost done when they finally came down the steps.

I stood up, a smile on my face. I wiped my greasy hands on the seat of my pants and held it out. "Hi Rosalie, I'm Bella Swan, the new roommate."

She stared at me like I was offering her a toxic waste smoothie. Her blond hair was perfectly style and she was dressed impeccably. Her entire being screamed country club bitch. So did the sneer on her flawless face.

"Hi," she finally said, skirting around me to sit in my vacant seat on the couch. I quirked an eyebrow at Edward and he shook his head, rolling his eyes as he sat down next to her. Alice gave me a knowing look as I sat down on the floor next to the couch.

Emmett started the movie and we all settled in to watch. At one point, a bouncing ball made me jump and I grabbed on to Edward's calf with a yelp. He leaned forward and looked down at me with a grin.

"You ok?" he asked. Everyone else except Rosalie was looking at me with grins. I felt my face flame up.

"Shut up, it's scary," I muttered. He ruffled my hair playfully then sat back.

"Come here, Bella," teased Emmett. "You can sit on my lap. I'll keep you safe."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'm good here, thanks."

"Here," laughed Alice, getting up from her position on the couch by Edward. "You can take my seat and I'll sit with Jasper."

I sighed and got up. My butt was getting numb from sitting on the floor. Rosalie was scowling at the TV, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. I rolled my eyes and curled up around the couch arm. Emmett backed up the movie and we resumed watching.

I jumped a few more times and each time felt Edward's strong warm hand on the small of my back or on my leg. It was comforting and disconcerting at the same time.

As the credits rolled, Alice stood up and flipped on the lights and looked at us expectantly. "Well?"

"I liked it," volunteered Emmett. "I'd totally watch it again, especially if I had a girl as jumpy as Bella sitting next to me."

I stuck my tongue out at him amid snickers. "I really liked it," I admitted. "I love scary movies and you know what, Emmett, I'll sit with you next time so I can squeeze the snot out of your hands."

He laughed. We sat and talked about the movie for a while, giving it positive reviews and discussing questions we had. Everyone had thoughts except Rosalie. She just looked pissed.

"Look, I don't get why we have to watch some lame ass movie that they picked out," she finally whined. "Why don't I ever get to pick a movie?"

"You can pick a movie anytime," said Alice with surprise. "You've just never expressed any opinion on the matter."

Rosalie frowned. "Well, I'm expressing now. I want to pick next week."

"Sounds great, babe," said Edward, a little too enthusiastically.

I heard Jasper groan softly before Alice elbowed him in the stomach.

"You can either go through our library or bring something of yours or whatever."

She nodded. "I'll definitely bring one of my own. And it'll be way better than anything and of you fucktards has picked."

I raised my eyebrows. "Man, y'all must have picked some pretty awful movies."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "What are you, stupid? Y'all isn't a word."

There was silence in the room. I did a silent count to ten, then pasted a smile on my face. "No, not stupid. Southern. We learned not to be so obvious in our insults down there. It's a lot easier when you're not a frigid bitch."  
Alice's jaw dropped and Jasper and Emmett had huge grins on their faces they made no effort to hide. Edward looked conflicted. Rosalie looked like she was ready to rip off my face.

"Listen, _freshman_," she hissed, "I may not be from the inbred South, but I sure as hell know how to use real words and not stupid ass made up ones."

"Wow," I shook my head. "That's the best you could come back with? Real words and inbreeding? Please. My mother is from Illinois and my dad is from Massachusetts. I'm the only true Southerner in the family. But, having had experience with Yanks, I'd be happy to help you find a proctologist to get that stick out of your ass. Then maybe you'd be pleasant to be around."

She huffed for a moment, then stood up. "Edward, I'm leaving. Come on." She stomped out of the basement. Edward sighed and followed after her, waving at us as he disappeared up the stairs.

There was a long silence in the basement, then Emmett tackled me on the couch. "That was so awesome," he crowed. "I've been wanting to say some of that and more for years. You are my new favorite superhero."

I laughed. "I hope I didn't upset Edward too much. Though he wasn't exactly jumping in there to defend her."

Jasper laughed softly. "He's getting sick of her, but they've been together for nearly three years now so it's comfortable and neither one of them wants to try to find anyone else. I think if he did meet someone he'd drop that bitch in a New York minute, though."

"God, I hope he finds someone," groaned Alice. "I'm not sure I can take much more of her. Definitely not another school year."

Emmett nodded in agreement. "_She's_ a hocake."

We dissolved into laughter and the video game console was switched back on while Alice and I cleaned up. I watched for a while before heading up to bed.

Edward's POV

"Rosalie, calm the fuck down," I said exasperated.

"No I will not calm the fuck down," she shouted at me. "You just sat there and let that bitch talk to me like that. What the fuck kind of boyfriend are you?"

I sighed. "Look, all I'm saying is that she had a point. You are a bitch sometimes and you pick on everyone all the time."

"You're supposed to be on my side," she screamed. "I'm the one fucking you, not her." She stopped and her eyes widened. "Are you cheating on me? You son of a bitch." She picked up the nearest thing to her and threw it at me. Luckily it was a pillow and I caught it easily.

"No, I'm not cheating on you," I said annoyed. "Besides, even if I was that'd be like the pot calling the kettle black now wouldn't it?"

"Get out," she growled.

"Gladly," I muttered, heading out the door. It was a couple miles to walk back to the house so I had plenty of time to think.

What the fuck was I doing here? I couldn't keep this up, flirting and thinking about Bella all the time and then going off to Rosalie to release the tension. And why the fuck was Bella such an issue? I'd only really known her for a couple of days. It was like I was living in a fucking chick flick. I had the day off tomorrow, I decided to spend it with her and see what happened. Hopefully I could keep things platonic. Jasper claimed her as a little sister and I wasn't sure how he'd react to me trying anything with her.

Bella didn't seem like the kind of girl who'd go for being a fling or the other woman. I was with Rosalie, so it wasn't like she could be more than that. I definitely wasn't the type to try dating more than one woman at a time.

Plus, she was so young. Eighteen years old seemed old when I was there, but now on the other side of it and 21, she seemed practically a child. She didn't have a child's body, though. That body was all fucking woman. A woman who was totally fuckable.

I'd never had a female friend I wanted to screw so badly. Alice and Jasper had been together since 10th grade and I'd never seen her as anything other than his girlfriend and one of the guys. One of the guys with a killer rack, sure, but still like one of the guys.

I shoved my hands deep into my pockets as I turned onto our street. I had to get my dick under control. I was _not _going to fuck up a friendship with sex. She was turning out to be a pretty awesome chick to hang out with; I just had to keep everything in perspective.

***

Tali: So, my younger brother actually invented "hocake" and uses it quite often. We have a weird family relationship where we tease each other and call each other names all the time. Sounds cruel, but I know when I get a text from him calling me a hocake or a loser, it's all love. Also, The Changeling is one of THE best scary movies and I absolutely love it. I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it and like the more psychologically scary type of movies. No blood and guts or nudity or swearing.


	5. Chapter 5

Bella's POV

The next morning when I went downstairs, everyone was out but Edward. He was sitting in the living room with a book and classical music playing softly in the background. I raised my eyebrows as I curled up in a chair next to him.

"So what happened with Rosalie last night? I figured you'd be at her house."

He rolled his eyes. "She bitched at me for about an hour before finally kicking me out. I walked home and went straight to bed."

"Why'd she kick you out?"

He flushed a little. "I sort of agreed with you. "

I laughed. "So…classical, huh? I figured you for the heavy metal or emo type."

He laughed back. "I do appreciate that stuff, but when relaxing, I prefer classical."

I smiled and rested my head against the back of the chair, listening. "This is the _Moonlight Sonata_, right?"

He nodded. We were silent as the song ended. The next one was amazing. It was fast and intense, sounding like some kind of beautiful chase music. About a minute in, the tempo slowed to an almost lullaby sound. The pace picked back up and the beginning part was played, the beautiful chase. I'd never heard it before but I loved it. I closed my eyes and let the notes wash over me. I felt a little sad when it ended. I looked over at him. "What was that one?"

"_Fantaisie Impromptu_ by Chopin," he said. "It's probably my favorite classical piece. I worked my ass off to learn it."

"You can play the piano?" I asked with surprise.

He nodded. "My mom is a piano teacher and my earliest memories are of lying under the piano while she taught. It's the best way to relax, really." I smiled at him and leaned my head back as _Claire de Lune_ started playing.

"I took lessons when I was little and supposedly was a natural talent but I quit when Brad got sick. I always wanted to get back into it."

"I've been wondering about that. I saw a picture of you two. Can I ask about him?"

I was quiet. "Brad was a great big brother. He was so patient with me tagging along after him all the time. We'd play cops and robbers and cowboys and Indians and war and all that. He taught me how to read and tie my shoes and ride my bike." I stopped, feeling the familiar lump in my throat.

"What happened?" asked Edward softly.

I sighed. "When he was about 14, he was diagnosed with leukemia. I did a bone marrow transplant with him, but it wasn't enough. He died a year later." We sat in silence, another pretty piece playing in the background.

"I'm sorry," said Edward finally. "I know that doesn't help, but…there it is."

I smiled sadly. "It is what it is. I've got a tiny scar from the spinal tap and 12 years of memories and pictures to remember him by. Plus," I laughed "he wanted to go to college here and here I am, fulfilling that for him."

Edward grinned at me. "That's cool."

We lapsed back into comfortable silence, then I turned on him. "You'll have to play for me sometime."

He rolled his eyes. "There are no pianos around here and I hate keyboards. It's not the same as a piano, I don't care what people say."

I laughed. "Fine, next time we're around a real piano, you have to play. Deal?"

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You have to play, too."

I made a face at him. "Ok, your turn. What's something in your history?"

He chuckled and thought for a moment. "Um…I had a dog when I was a kid who died of old age," he offered.

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, there's got to be something."

He grimaced and sighed. "Ok, so, not many people know this, but I have a record."

My eyes widened and I sat up. "What kind of record?"

"My friends and I climbed the water tower and painted it our senior year of high school. No one else got caught but me, so I took the rap for everyone. Plus, I broke into a bait shop a couple times to hang out with friends."

"That was nice of you to take the rap, but shame on you for breaking and entering," I teased. He shrugged.

"Some of the guys would have lost a lot in the way of college scholarships and parental support and all that. I just did the responsible thing. I didn't think I'd even get in anywhere. Two days after I was released, I got the acceptance letter to UI. And where else were we supposed to go?"

I laughed. "There's always the park."

"We were too cool for the park."

I made a face at him. "So it all worked out ok?"

"Yeah, I had to pay to repaint the tower. I offered to do it myself, but they apparently didn't like my handiwork."

I laughed at that, the tears from a few minutes ago gone. I checked the clock on the wall. "It's almost lunchtime. Want me to make some sandwiches or something?"

"Why don't we go out? You haven't gotten to see much of the town."

I rolled my eyes. "My grandparents lived here for years, remember?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm sure they took you places they didn't take Jasper. It was like he was visiting a foreign country the whole first semester we were here." I laughed. "Go get dressed and we'll see the town." He reached over and ran his finger up the bottom of my foot. I laughed and jerked it away from him, heading upstairs.

I took a quick shower and pulled on khaki shorts and a pink camisole. It wasn't as warm here as back home, but it was still warm enough for exposed skin. I grabbed my tennis shoes, twisted my wet hair up and headed downstairs.

He was still stretched out on the couch, reading and listening to music. I grinned at him and pounced, landing lightly on his stomach. He grunted, but grinned and started to tickle me. I squealed and attempted to get away from him, but he was bigger and stronger, pinning me quickly on the floor. I laughed and pushed against him with one knee and wrapping my other leg around him to kick him in the butt. We froze when we heard a low cough from the doorway. We looked up and saw Alice and Jasper standing there. Alice had a huge grin on her face, Jasper looked confused. We scrambled apart and I felt my face getting hot again. I reached for my shoes to pull them on and Edward hastily tried to smooth his hair.

"So…do you two need a chaperone or something?" asked Alice with a grin.

I felt like my face was on fire. "No, we were just playing," I muttered.

"Uh huh," snickered Jasper, passing us as he headed into the kitchen.

"We were just on our way out. I'm showing Bella the town." He reached over to help me up off the floor and pulled me out the door, barely giving me time to grab my purse. As the screen door swung shut behind us, I could hear Alice cracking up. "Ignore them," he sighed as we climbed into the blue Toyota he owned.

I laughed. "You have to admit, that stuff keeps happening to us."

He grinned. "Yeah, if I didn't have a girlfriend, it would look suspicious."

I snorted. "It _does_ look suspicious, dorko."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't deny it.

We spent the morning wandering around the quaint old downtown area of town. We checked out the candy store and a couple of the old junk shops. I found a couple of small things I knew Mom would love for Christmas and we bought about a pound of fudge, which we split for lunch.

"I'm going to be sick," I groaned as we sat on the benches by the fountain by the courthouse. "Why did you let me eat half a pound of fudge?"

"Me? You would have bitten me if I tried to stop you."

I grinned. "It was pretty awesome, wasn't it," I sighed.

He laughed. "Hell yeah. Melt in your mouth. I can't think of the last thing I put in my mouth that tasted that good. I mean, obviously besides your cooking."

I pinched his arm playfully and sighed again, completely contented. It was getting close to dinner time, so we loaded our purchases up and headed back to the house.

The others were all there, watching a movie. Emmett was in his chair and Alice and Jasper were snuggled up on the love seat. Edward settled himself on the couch and I sat next to him. Over the course of the movie, though, I gradually crept closer and closer to him, until I was leaning on him. I eventually fell asleep with my head on his chest.

I woke up as he was carrying me to my room. I wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled against him, enjoying the sensation of being carried. He carefully laid me in my bed, gently pulling the covers up over me. He grinned down at me before he left. I drifted back to sleep fairly quickly.

Edward's POV

It was a good thing Jasper and Alice walked in when they did or I might have done something I'd regret. Having those legs wrapped around me was entirely too arousing for anyone's good.

"So…do you two need a chaperone or something?" teased Alice. She looked like the cat that ate the canary.

Bella's face was bright red. "No, we were just playing," she muttered as I rolled off of her and lifted myself up to my feet.

"Uh huh," snickered Jasper as he moved through the living room. I shot him an "Eat shit and die" look that only made him laugh harder.

"We were just on our way out," I said annoyed. "I'm showing Bella the town." I pulled her up off the floor and out the door, knowing if we stayed more comments would be made. I could hear Jasper's guffaws and Alice's cackles echoing across the lawn after us. "Ignore them," I rolled my eyes as we climbed into my car.

She laughed. "You have to admit, that stuff keeps happening to us."

I grinned in spite of myself. "Yeah, if I didn't have a girlfriend, it would look suspicious."

She snorted and it was actually pretty damn cute. "It _does_ look suspicious, dorko."

I rolled my eyes but it was true. In the past few days I'd seen her naked and she'd woken up pressed against my morning wood. Even though no one knew about those incidents, they knew about her sleeping on me all the time and now this was not helping anything.

She leaned her head back against the head rest and hummed softly along with the music blaring from the speakers. She apparently knew Bowling for Soup.

"You like them?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I go to their concerts whenever I can. They're from Texas, you know. Denton."

"Where's that?"

"Near Dallas. We used to live not far from there before Dad got transferred to Austin."

I nodded. We drove in companionable silence until I pulled into the downtown area. I found a parking spot and cut the engine. Bella hopped out and looked around.

"I hate to tell you this, but I've been here before," she teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. You know it's better than sitting at home watching video games or some bullshit like that."

She grinned. "Yeah. There's probably new stuff, too. I haven't been here in years." She held out her arm. "Show me around, tour guide."

I grinned and took her arm, tucking it in the crook of my own. We went to a couple of antique stores since I knew most girls loved that shit. She found a couple little things for her mom but for the most part seemed somewhat disinterested.

I led her into a bookstore and her eyes lit up. It was mostly old expensive books no one could afford. She ran her fingers over the spines lovingly, stopping on a book that surprised me.

"Poe?" I asked with a grin.

She nodded. "Grandpa loved Poe. I remember him reading me and Brad 'The Tell-Tale Heart' when we were really little. Scared the bejeezus out of Brad but I loved it and begged for him to read it every night."

I laughed. "Wow, brave kid. I read a bunch of his short stories in high school at like, 2 in the morning and nearly shit my pants when the cat started pawing at the door."

She laughed a full on body laugh. "Aw, poor baby." She looked back at the book wistfully. She touched the binding with her fingertips and sighed.

She turned away from it and looked up at me. "Ok, there used to be an old fashioned malt shop that had amazing hamburgers and shakes. Is it still here?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but they just do sweets now. No more burgers."

"Durn. So it's just an ice cream parlor?"

I shook my head. "More like a candy store. Come on, we'll check it out."

I put my hand on the small of her back and guided her out of the store. We walked down the sidewalk to the candy store and her eyes lit up.

"Oh my god, candy is my total weakness. I heart chocolate."

I laughed. "Then you're about to really heart this store. They've got fudge."

She sucked in her breath. "Be still my heart." She pulled the door open and headed in.

The smell of chocolate and sugar washed over us, making my mouth water. Bella was practically glued to the display case of fudge, looking like she wanted to drool over all of it. Her breasts were pressed against the glass and her pert little ass was sticking out just enough to be distracting.

"See anything you like?"

I jumped and turned to see a woman in a white apron smudged with chocolate smiling at me. Bella looked up at her.

"Yes, I like them all. Can I get some fudge please?"

The woman smiled and moved on to Bella while I moved off to regain my composure. NO fucking woman had had this affect on me in years, not since I started having sex on a regular basis anyway.

When I came back, the woman was putting a white box into a white paper bag while Bella rummaged through her purse. I pulled out my credit card and handed it over. Bella looked up and started to protest.

"Nope, sorry. I was going to take you out for lunch but you opted for fudge so I'm buying."

She rolled her eyes. "If I'd known you were buying, I'd have insisted we go somewhere fancy," she winked at me and took the bag. "Thank you, though. I'm glad I got enough for us to share."

She pulled the box out of the bag and opened it, revealing what had to be a full pound of fudge, at least five different flavors. She broke off a chunk and held it up. "Open," she ordered. I obeyed and she put it on my tongue. I moaned softly. It was so fucking good. Peanut butter fudge was my new favorite. She popped a piece in her own mouth and made a soft little moaning sound and sighed before starting towards the door. I waved at the woman who attended us as we headed out the door.

We wandered around the square and some of the side streets for a little while, sharing the fudge. It wasn't too long before we'd polished off the entire box. I steered her towards the fountain in the middle. It was nice and cool and listening to running water always relaxed me, probably due to the water sounds CD my parents used to put me to sleep when I was a kid.

"I'm going to be sick," she groaned as we found an empty bench and sat down. "Why did you let me eat half a pound of fudge?"

I laughed. "Me? You would have bitten me if I tried to stop you." Plus I loved that little moaning sound she made when she ate it.

She grinned up at me. "It was pretty awesome, wasn't it?" she sighed contentedly.

"Hell yeah. Melt in your mouth. I can't think of the last thing I put in my mouth that tasted that good. I mean, obviously besides your cooking." I had a sudden urge to see what she tasted like but decided not to verbalize that. I didn't want her kicking me in the nads.

She pinched my arm playfully and sighed again, completely satisfied. We sat and people watched and watched the water for a while. She sighed again after a while and leaned her head on my shoulder. I wondered absentmindedly if she sighed like that after sex. I shook myself, trying to get those thoughts and images out of my head and stood up.

"It's getting late; we should probably start heading back."

She nodded and stood up, stretching. I gathered up the bags and we headed back to the car.

When we got to the house, the others were downstairs watching a movie. We joined them and after not too long, Bella was leaning against my chest sleepily. I realized with a start about an hour into it that she was asleep.

Shit. This was not going well. I looked down at her as she slept lightly on my chest. She was so damn cute when she slept. It was no wonder I got a boner when she was wrapped around me. Jasper looked over at me with raised eyebrows.

"Dude, are you trying to fuck my cousin?"

I scowled at him. I'd only thought about it, I hadn't actually tried anything yet. "No," I said annoyed at myself for thinking "yet." "We're just friends. She's like a fun, goofy little sister." That I want to fuck.

"That's not what you said earlier," said Emmett with a huge grin on his face. "You said she's the kind of girl your mom always hopes you bring home."

Alice laughed. "She really is a good egg. I like her. I'd approve of either of you bitches dating her."

I rolled my eyes and stood up, cradling Bella bridal style as I started towards the stairs. "Fuck you all," I called softly over my shoulder.

I adjusted my grip on her in the kitchen and she snuggled against my chest, wrapping her arms around my neck.

As I was walking down the hall to her room she sighed and pressed herself against me lightly. "You're such a good friend," she sighed again. "I hope you stay around a while."

I chuckled softly as I gently set her down on her bed. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me through them with a shy smile. I carefully pulled the blankets up over her, tucking her in and feeling slightly guilty for intentionally rubbing my thumbs across her breasts. She didn't seem to notice. Shit, I really had to stop this.

I grinned down at her as I turned to go. I suddenly decided to say something, anything. I turned in the doorway, but she was already asleep again.

I sighed and headed up to my room. It wasn't the same sleeping here without her. I hadn't slept well last night and didn't think I would tonight. My pillow still smelled like her. That wasn't helping the situation.

I grunted and tossed it across the room and closed my eyes, determined to fall asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Bella's POV

I woke up the next morning by Alice pouncing on my bed.

"Ok, seriously. What is going on?!" she demanded.

I groaned and sat up. "It's early and you're bouncing on my bed, that's what's going on."

"Shut up. I mean with you and Edward. You're doing him aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's got a girlfriend and I'm pretty sure he only thinks of me as a little sister anyway."

"But how do you think of him?"

I shook my head. "It's all kind of confusing. There's definitely some chemistry there, but…he's like a brother, like you said. I mean…it's incestuous to want to sleep with your brother."

"Only if you're actually related, which you two aren't."

I laughed softly. "Very true. I still don't think anything will happen. It's just a stupid crush on my end and a goofy little sister on his."

"Whatever," she climbed off the bed and wandered over to the full length mirror to check herself out. "I predict you two will hook up before the semester is over." She winked at me as she headed out the door.

I rolled over and closed my eyes, trying to go back to sleep. It was useless, the words had been spoken. I was falling for Edward. I groaned and climbed out of bed. I crossed the room and rummaged through my desk drawer to find the small red leather journal I kept. I grabbed a pen and got back into bed to write.

After spending some time venting, I put it away and dressed, heading downstairs. Everyone was in the basement playing video games or watching. I shook my head as I dropped into the armchair.

"Do you guys ever do anything else?" I laughed.

Emmett grinned at me from the couch. "We were waiting for you to grace us with your presence so you can make breakfast."

I raised my eyebrows. "So you four have been sitting around since whenever waiting on me?"

"Damn straight," said Edward, his tongue at the corner of his mouth. "Word is you were bragging about your breakfasts so we want you to prove it."

I laughed. "Oh alright. I may need assistance, though."

"I'll help," volunteered Jasper. "I suck at this anyway."

The two of us trooped upstairs and I surveyed the fridge. I pulled out cream, eggs, bacon and butter. Jasper set to work on the bacon while I mixed up some scrambled eggs and some biscuit dough.

"So when do your parents head to London?" he asked as he pulled plates out of the cabinet.

"Next week sometime. The house was in such a mess when I left. They're putting practically everything in storage."

"That's so cool your dad got sent there to work. I'm hoping I can go visit next summer. I'm going to do a summer trip of Europe."

"Yeah, Mom mentioned that. Have you made any plans yet?"

He shook his head and pulled the orange juice out of the fridge. "No, not really. I know a few of the countries I want to hit. I'm trying to convince Alice to go with me. She's much better at planning that shit."

I laughed and put the orange juice away. "If I'm making breakfast, I'm doing the OJ, too."

He raised his eyebrows. "Now this I gotta see."

I cut the oranges and squeezed them against the attachment to my mixer. It took a while and by the time the OJ was done, so was the bacon and biscuits. I poured the egg mixture into the hot skillet and started cooking it while Jasper called the others up.

"Something smells fan-fucking-tastic!" crowed Emmett as he came upstairs.

I grinned and started serving up the food. Everyone dug in, moaning appreciatively. "Ok, new house rule," mumbled Edward around a mouthful of egg. "You make breakfast once a week, either Saturday or Sunday."

The others nodded. I laughed. "Ok, if I'm cooking all the time, someone has to help out occasionally."

"No problem," said Emmett quickly. "I used to help my mom all the time. Of course, she can't cook like you can, but if you ever meet her I didn't say that."

As the guys started cleaning up, Alice and I sat back in our seats and directed traffic. "I think we should go out to a club or something tonight," announced Alice. "We should do something awesome before school starts and we don't really do clubs much during the school year."

I frowned. "I'm not much of a club person," I hesitated.

"That's ok," explained Emmett. "You just go and hang out and have a few drinks."

"Um, hello people, I'm only 18. No one will serve me."

"We can get you drinks," said Edward, waving off my concerns.

"Come on, it'll be fun," teased Jasper. "You know you wanna."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, I'll go."

"Awesome," grinned Edward. "I'll call Rosalie and see if she's in." He headed out of the room and Alice scowled.

"I didn't intend to invite the Queen Bitch, but whatever." She grabbed my arm. "I'm totally borrowing that red dress. Come help me find shoes for it."

I laughed as she dragged me out of the kitchen. "Then what am I wearing?"

"We'll find you something," she assured me.

She sat me on my bed and pulled the red dress out of my closet lovingly. She carefully draped it over the back of my desk chair, then started rummaging through the rest of my clothes. Dresses in purple, black, white, and blue littered the room, as did a few dressy tops and nice pairs of jeans. She sorted through them thoughtfully.

"I like this," she said finally. I looked up from my book.

She was holding a dark purple dress that had spaghetti straps and was skin tight. I'd worn it once for a graduation party and not since. I frowned. "I'm not such a fan of that one. I didn't realize I'd packed it actually."

"I mean for me," she rolled her eyes and held it up against herself and studying it in the mirror. She clucked her tongue and draped it over the red dress. She crossed the room and pushed the door shut and proceeded to strip down to her panties and bra before shimmying into the purple dress. I had to admit, against her fair skin and dark spiky hair it looked phenomenal. She grinned and turned to me. "I'm so wearing this."

I laughed. "So I get to wear my red dress then?"

"Well, I need to see it on you first."

I rolled my eyes and stripped down myself, pulling on the red dress. I turned to her, my arms out. She had a huge grin on her face. "You're so wearing that. I want to see Rosalie shit a brick."

We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out. Edward had a shift at the music store and Jasper had a shift at the restaurant. They were both off by 8, so we decided to meet up at the house then to get ready to go. I sat down to type out the long newsy email that I kept promising Mom while I did some laundry and Alice watched a movie and Emmett went out to run some errands.

At 6:30, Alice bounced into my room. "It's time to start getting ready," she announced. I raised my eyebrows.

"We've got at least two hours before we have to go anywhere. I was about to go start dinner."

"We'll just eat at the club," she waved her hand dismissively. "We have to pamper ourselves so we're totally fuckable at the club."

I snorted. "Believe me, that is _not_ why I'm going with you losers."

She grinned. "Please, I'm trying to help Edward figure out that you're the one he wants to diddle instead of QB."

I laughed. "I don't think tarting me up for a night out will do that, but I'll let you use me for your Barbie."

She grinned. "Good. Go shower and shave. I'll take care of your hair and make-up. And I've got the perfect shoes for you to wear with that dress."

I rolled my eyes as I headed to the bathroom. After about 20 minutes, I was out, scrubbed and smooth, and headed back to my room where Alice was waiting. She handed me a blow-dryer as she headed to the bathroom herself.

I grimaced as I set about drying my hair. I hated blow-dryers. They were so bad for a person's hair.

By the time my hair was dried, Alice was out. She was wearing her robe and carrying a big bag of make-up when she entered my room. She handed me a clear bottle and took the blow-dryer away.

"Put a little in your hands, rub them together, then run it through your hair. It's basically lotion for hair."

I nodded and obeyed. She quickly dried her hair and put some of the serum on her own hair before sitting me down in the chair. She went to work with the flat iron and a curling iron and some bobby pins. She chatted the whole time she worked on my hair and my face, talking about her family and school. I learned she had a younger sister who was studying music in Chicago and that she hated her classes but was looking forward to being an interior decorator.

She pushed me out of the chair and motioned for me to pull the dress on while she did her own hair and make-up. I slathered on lotion before sliding into panties that Alice had picked out while I was in the shower: black with little pink bows on the hips, probably the only remotely sexy panties I owned. The dress wasn't such that I could exactly wear a bra, even a strapless one, so I quickly shimmied into it. I reached for the shoes I usually wore with it, some low black heels, but Alice stopped me.

"I've picked out your shoes, too. They're on the bed."

I turned and stared at the 5 inch black stilettos on the bed. "Are you out of your mind?" I demanded. "I'll kill myself in those."

She laughed. "Just hang on to Emmett. He's sturdy."

I frowned. I wasn't sure if I was ready to give in on this one. "No, seriously. I'm not great in heels, Alice. I broke my arm once because of a tumble I took wearing heels."

"That's because you didn't have Emmett. Look, carry them downstairs and sit down in the club. You'll be fine." She wasn't budging either.

I sighed and picked up the shoes and grabbed a small black clutch out of the closet. I put my id, credit card, a spare lip gloss that Alice handed me, my cell phone and my keys inside.

Alice was done and squeezed herself into the purple dress. She had a pair of similar black stilettos and a small black purse with like items in it. Unlike me, though, she slid on the stilettos. Even though she was so much shorter than I was, she was pleased to note that we wore the same size. The dress on me was attractive. On her, it was sexy. The dress had come down to about mid thigh but on her it was about halfway down to her knees. I knew she liked it and that I wouldn't see it again in my closet. I grinned and grabbed the shoes as we headed downstairs.

Edward and Jasper had returned while we were getting ready. Jasper and Emmett were ready and waiting in the living room, talking about something. Edward was still upstairs getting dressed.

"Holy shit. If I knew you looked that good all cleaned up, I'd've totally made a move by now," Emmett grinned at me as he stood up and came over to appraise us. My face flushed as I grinned at him.

"Well, you don't look so bad yourself. I may make my own move." He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a pink button up that on anyone else would have looked ridiculous but on him looked amazing. He grinned at me and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Jasper was dressed similarly, I noted as he passed me to kiss Alice on the cheek. He was wearing black jeans and a blue shirt under a blazer.

Emmett slung his arm around my shoulders. "So you're going clubbing barefoot? I can totally dig that."

I laughed and held up the neck breakers. "I'm afraid I'll fall if I wear these much, so I'm carrying them for now," I explained.

He grinned. "So you need me to carry you around?"

I waggled my eyebrows back at him. "Maybe so."

"Edward!" Jasper shouted up the stairs as a yellow minivan pulled up outside. "The cab's here! Hurry your ass up or you're on your own!"

"I'm coming," Edward yelled back. "Fuck, I just got home twenty minutes ago." He came thundering down the stairs. The others headed out to the waiting taxi while I paused to pull on my shoes. "Shit."

I turned to see Edward standing at the foot of the stairs, staring at me. "What?" I asked panicked. "Too slutty? I told Alice I wasn't looking for any action. Should I change?"

He shook his head. "No…you look…awesome."

I flushed. "Oh. Thanks. You look great, too." And he did. He was wearing what I was now thinking was the customary "going out" outfit for the guys: jeans, button up and a blazer. His color choices were regular blue jeans and a brilliant green shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. I felt my cheeks warm up.

The taxi honked, breaking the moment, and we headed outside. I ended up wedged between Emmett and Edward in the backseat. We stopped off to pick up Rosalie and she teetered out, wearing a skin-tight white dress that barely covered her ass and heels that were at least 6 inches high. Rosalie actually managed to pull it off, to my surprise. I was glad my dress let me breathe and was a bit longer, reaching almost to my knees when I was standing. Sitting was another story. She shot daggers at me when she folded herself into the front seat.

I tugged anxiously on the hem of my dress, leaning into Edward when I did it.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, shifting in his seat. I grinned at him, immediately getting what the deal was.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" I teased.

He gave me a look. "We're friends and all, but you should knock that shit off. You don't want to see where that could get you."

I winked at him and sat back in my seat like a good girl.

At the club, I got a big red stamp on my hand while the others were ushered in quickly. We found a booth in the corner and staked it out. I held on to Emmett's arm as we made our way through the crowd and sat close to him in the booth. A waitress came around with a tray of blinking shots, compliments of the house. It was some new liquor they were trying, so we could have as many samples as we wanted. It immediately became the new favorite drink.

I tried one and it actually tasted pretty good. It didn't have that strong alcohol flavor that I hated in alcoholic beverages. That could be a problem, since I wouldn't necessarily want to stop.

After the second round of free shots, Alice dragged Jasper out on the dance floor, followed shortly by Rosalie and Edward. Emmett looked at me expectantly. I laughed and shook my head, leaning close to him.

"I'm not much of a dancer, especially in stilettos."

He laughed. "You mind if I dance, then?"

I shook my head and he grinned at me as he headed out. Within seconds, a beautiful Latina had latched on to him and was dry humping him on the dance floor.

I watched with amusement for a while. The others came and went, taking turns keeping me company. All except Rosalie and, as a result, Edward. After a couple of hours, and more than a couple more rounds, I had to pee. I carefully slid out of the booth, leaving Emmett and his lady love of the evening, Yelena, to their oral exams.

As soon as I was on my feet, I realized how drunk I really was. I teetered slightly, but caught the edge of the booth and steadied myself. I took a moment to get my bearings and started towards the bathroom. Of course it was across the building, through the insane crowds. I fought down the wave of panic I felt rising in my throat. I swallowed hard and forged ahead.

The main reason I didn't go to clubs, besides being underage and not much of a dancer, was my insane panic attacks when in large crowds. I would start to hyperventilate, develop tunnel vision, and generally just about curl up into the fetal position. I hadn't had one in ages, and I wasn't about to start now so I made my way around the walls. My bursting bladder complained, but I couldn't handle a panic attack in the middle of a crowded club. I'd probably end up peeing myself. I made it to the bathroom safely and groaned inwardly at the long line. I glanced at the men's room and saw there was no line, so I ducked in there when no one was paying attention. I sighed with relief when I sat down. I didn't even care that I was probably sitting in old urine. I'd take a shower when I got home.

I washed my hands and ducked out of the restroom, ready to get back to my sitting and laughing. I was almost back to the table when I had to pause for a group exiting their booth. I smiled politely then felt hot breath on my neck.

"Hey sexy," leered a guy with a horrible shirt on that was unbuttoned practically to his navel. I grimaced and tried to back away from the Guido. "Wanna dance?" he leered at me.

I forced a smile. "No thanks, I'm sitting the next few out."

"Oh, come on, you know you want to." He grabbed my arm and pulled me out onto the dance floor before I could react. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him, sliding my legs between his and grinding on me.

I pushed against him but he just held me tighter, grinning down at me. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and I could feel the panic attack taking over. He leaned down and pressed his lips against my neck in a sloppy kiss. I fought back a scream as I pushed against him harder now. He laughed, his breath hot and foul against my face.

"You're feisty," he slurred. "I like it."

"Please," I protested, "let me go. My friends will be looking for me."

He either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me because he pulled me closer still and ground harder against me. I could feel something poking me in the leg and I sincerely hoped it was a phone in his pocket.

"Did you not hear the lady?" demanded an angry voice behind me. "She wants to go sit down."

I looked over my shoulder and saw Edward advancing through the crowd. He was big and imposing and I could have kissed him.

Guido released me and stood back, holding his hands up. "Dude, she didn't say anything about no boyfriend. She was coming on to me."

Edward's face darkened. "I highly doubt that," he growled at the man. He wrapped a protective arm around me. "Are you ok?" he looked down at me with concern. I shook my head. I needed to get out of the building and get some fresh air.

He seemed to sense what I needed and carefully guided me out of the club. We stumbled out onto the pavement outside. I sucked in lungfuls of air, trying desperately not to break down into tears.

"Come here," Edward ordered, pulling me against his chest. He rubbed my back soothingly. "Breath with me, Bella. In and out." He took deep slow breaths and I tried desperately to copy him. After what felt like an eternity my breathing finally evened out and he pushed me back and looked down at me worried. "You ok yet?"

I shivered. "I'm better," I allowed.

He nodded. "What the hell was that?"

"A panic attack."

He rolled his eyes. "I understood that. I'm talking about that guy."

I shuddered. "He cornered me when I was going back to the booth after going to the bathroom. I'm not very steady right now owing to the shoes and the alcohol so I couldn't really fight him." I felt the tears rising up again. "I'm a little scared what would have happened if you hadn't saved me. Thanks." I looked up at him and gave him a wobbly smile.

He smiled and smoothed my hair, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Well, I'm here for you. You're like a sister to me, and a damn good friend. With the amount of crazy shit we've already been through together you're on my team. And nobody fucks with my team."

I nodded, disheartened by the sister comment. "Thanks, Edward."

"I'll go get everyone and we'll head out. You ok out here by yourself for a bit?"

I nodded. I was calming down enough that I was actually cold, but it was a welcome relief from the stuffy club. Edward disappeared inside and returned about fifteen minutes later with the others in tow. Alice practically tackled me in a hug. Jasper let her step aside and pulled me against his chest.

"Fuck, I'm sorry I wasn't there," he muttered squeezing me tight. "Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll be ok. I just need to get some sleep."

"I'm the worst friend ever," Emmett groaned, pulling me into a bear hug. "I'm so fucking sorry. Want me to kick the guy's ass?"

I smiled. "I'm seriously ok; I just want to go home."

The door attendant hailed a cab for us. Unfortunately, it was a regular cab, so I ended up sitting on Emmett's lap while Alice sat on Jasper's. Edward was wedged between us and Rosalie took the front. I curled against Emmett's chest and he wrapped his arms around my waist. I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder. Edward put his warm hand on my thigh and rubbed it gently. If not for the earlier statement about being like a sister, I'd have gotten excited about the contact.

Rosalie got out first at her house. She tried to insist that Edward come in with her but he refused, muttering something about roommates. She scowled at me before flouncing up the stairs to her house. We waited until she was inside before heading out.

At our house, Emmett helped me out of the car, practically carrying me up the steps and inside while Edward and Jasper paid the fare. Alice followed soon after, catching up with me and Emmett on the steps.

"I've got her from here," she said softly, slipping her arm around me. She helped me up the stairs and into my room where she helped me change. I sighed as I sank back on my bed in nothing but my panties while she dug through my dresser to pull out a t-shirt for me to sleep in.

"I'm not usually so pathetic," I said tiredly. "I just…he really got to me." I felt the tears creeping back. "I hate crowds and since I was drunk I couldn't fight him off as much and I had to pee…" I started to cry. Alice pulled me up and helped me put a t-shirt on. She pulled me into a hug.

"You're not pathetic," she assured me. "We're just dumbasses for making you go through all that and go to a fucking club."

I sniffed, calming down. "I'll be better in the morning, I swear. I just need some sleep."

"You need some water, too."

We looked up to see Edward in the doorway with a bottle of water. He held it out as he came into the room. I took it gratefully and took a swig while he dropped onto the bed next to me. I leaned my head against his shoulder.

The two stayed until I finished my water. Alice tucked me in and pulled the door shut behind her. I lay in the darkness and listened to the low murmur of voices downstairs for a while before everyone dispersed.

It was late, almost 2, but I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that guy's face and felt his hands on me and his hot breath on my neck. I shuddered and rolled over. I started when I saw the door was open and Edward standing in it.

"You're not asleep," he said accusingly.

I sighed and sat up. "I can't sleep. I keep remembering." I shuddered again.

He sighed. "Would it make you feel better if I stayed with you tonight?"

I bit my lip. "Maybe?"

He grinned. "I'll be back in a second." He disappeared out the door and I heard his footsteps on the stairs. I shifted over in the bed to give him room.

He reappeared a few minutes later wearing boxers and a t-shirt. He pulled the covers back and crawled in next to me. I stayed on my side, suddenly shy. He made a noise in his throat and pulled me against his chest, kissing the top of my head as he got comfortable on the bed. I snuggled against his chest and quickly drifted off to sleep. Sister or not, I'd take what I could get when it came to him.

Edward's POV

When I came down the steps I was greeted by the glorious sight of Bella's round red ass.

"Shit," I muttered.

She turned and looked at me. "What? Too slutty?" she looked down at herself panicked. "I told Alice I wasn't looking for any action. Should I change?"

Fuck no. She was wearing a red dress that just hugged her curves, which were bitching. They actually looked pretty fucking hot clothed. "No…you look…awesome." Awesome didn't cover it. Fan-fucking-tastic was closer.

She blushed again, the red going beyond just her face and neck and to the tops of her breasts. Double shit.

We piled into the van and I ended up wedged next to Bella. Her skirt rode up a little, showing some creamy white thigh I had a sudden urge to bite. Jasper gave the cab driver Rosalie's address and we set off. Rosalie trotted out when we pulled, scowling at me and Bella as she climbed into the front seat.

Bella shifted in her seat, tugging on the hem of her dress. In the process, her breasts pressed up against me and gave me a pretty good look down the top of her dress.

"Fuck," I muttered, shifting to hide the erection that had suddenly appeared.

She grinned up at me. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" she teased in a sexy low voice.

Shit yeah. "We're friends and all, but you should knock that shit off. You don't want to see where that could get you." Up against the wall, screaming my name. Fuck, what was wrong with me?

She winked at me and sat back in her seat.

Once at the club, she held on to Emmett's arm, teetering adorably on the crazy heels that Alice had talked her into. She slid into the booth we managed to get and sat close to Emmett. Rosalie was practically licking my face in her attempt to mark her territory or some shit. I was relieved when she dragged me out onto the dance floor. At least the face licking would end.

We danced for a while, snagging drinks from passing waitresses. Rosalie drank more of the free shots than I did, probably out of anger at Bella's utter fuckability. I guess I hadn't looked at her like that in a while.

I looked around to see where everyone was. Alice and Jasper were dancing close and talking a little ways away and Emmett was licking some hot chick's tonsils in the booth. Bella was nowhere to be seen.

I looked around for a second before I saw her. Some asshole had his hands all over her. It was all I could do to keep from ripping the guy's head off when I saw Bella push against him. I pushed my way through the crowd towards her. She was looking around wild eyed. I could tell she was about 2 seconds from a complete and total melt down. I barely stopped myself from scooping her up and carrying her outside.

"Please let me go," I heard her whimper. "My friends will be looking for me."

The guy ignored her and pulled her closer to him

"Did you not hear the lady?" I demanded, seeing red. "She wants to go sit down."

The guy blanched when he saw me and immediately released her and stepped back, putting his hands up in the air.

"Dude, she didn't say nothing about no boyfriend. She was coming on to me."

"I highly doubt that," I snarled. I wrapped an arm around Bella and looked down at her. She still had that frightened deer look. "Are you ok?"

She shook her head. I immediately pulled her outside. I'd have to kick that guy's ass another time, provided I ever saw him again.

Once out of the club, the panic noticeably decreased but she was still hyperventilating. I didn't have a paper bag so I grabbed her and pressed her against me, hoping that would help. It did somewhat, but the erection that hadn't totally gone away from earlier intensified somewhat. I left her outside and headed back in. I found the group at the table looking anxious.

"We need to go," I said tersely. "Some asshole grabbed her and forced her out onto the dance floor where she had a panic attack." I grabbed her purse and slid it into my pocket. Rosalie frowned.

"Well, why do we have to go?"

"Look," I snapped. "You don't, but we are. She's our roommate and we're going to take her home and make sure she's ok. Stay if you want."

I turned on my heel and headed back out to Bella. When I got there she was shivering slightly. Emmett pulled her into a hug and apologized for everything. She gave him a wobbly smile and let him hold her on his lap in the cab on the way home. I rubbed her leg reassuringly, amazed in the back of my mind at how incredibly soft and smooth her legs were.

We stopped at Rosalie's house and she turned to look at me expectantly. "Well, are you coming in?" she demanded.

"No, I told you. We're her roommates and the only family she's got so we're going to take care of her."

She scowled at Bella before attempting to sashay seductively up the stairs. I rolled my eyes. It would probably work on 99.9% of the male population but not on me, and definitely not tonight.

Alice helped Bella upstairs while we guys stood in the living room feeling helpless. "I'm gonna get her some water," I said suddenly, remembering our ritual after a night of drinking.

Emmett sighed. "I've got to get to bed before I pass out. I'm beat. I'll check on her tomorrow if you guys get tonight."

"I'll check on her tonight," I volunteered. They exchanged a knowing glance. I was still too pissed off at the asshole at the club to care.

I grabbed a bottle of water and headed upstairs. I could hear the two girls talking. Apparently Bella thought she was pathetic and was trying to assure Alice she'd feel better in the morning after much needed sleep.

"You need some water too," I said, holding out the bottle of water. She took it gratefully and took a drink. I settled on the bed next to her and she leaned against my shoulder. Fuck, she smelled amazing.

Alice and I sat with her until she finished her water and then we headed out, leaving her to sleep. It was almost 1 am, but no one except Emmett was sleeping. He'd been up since 5 am so he was excused. Jasper, Alice and I sat in the living room.

"What the fuck," sighed Jasper, leaning back. "I thought she'd gotten over this."

"You knew?!" demanded Alice angrily. "Fucktard. Panic attacks can be serious you asshole."

He rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I know. She had a full on melt down when we were kids and Grandma and Grandpa took us to the county fair. Paramedics had to be called."

I scowled at him. "Well, that would have been good information to have BEFORE we dragged her ass to a club."

He sighed. "She didn't bring it up, either, so don't go all bitchtastic on me."

I leaned my head back against the couch. "Ok fine, you've got a point."

"Is she going to be ok?" asked Alice anxiously.

"Yeah, she just needed to calm down, drink some water," I sighed. "Sleep is good for her. She'll be fine in the morning."

"Well, at least we didn't totally fuck her up," said Alice with relief.

We sat and talked for a while before heading up to bed. I stopped at Bella's door to check in on her.

At first I thought she was asleep but then she rolled over and made eye contact with me. Her eyes widened with surprise.

"You're not asleep," I said frustrated.

She sighed and sat up. "I can't sleep. I keep remembering." She shuddered slightly.

"Would it make you feel better if I stayed with you tonight?"

She pulled her lower lip between her teeth. Fuck, she had to stop that. "Maybe?"

I grinned. "I'll be back in a second." I rushed upstairs and changed quickly, brushing my teeth and making sure I didn't stink before I headed back down.

When I got back to her room, she was snuggled up on one side of the bed. I pulled the covers back and crawled in next to her. She stayed on her side. I rolled my eyes and grunted, pulling her close against my chest. I kissed her on top of the head and shifted so that when the boner did appear it wouldn't be poking her. She sighed contentedly and snuggled against my chest. She fell asleep almost immediately. Panic attacks were apparently exhausting after a long day.

I lay in the dark listening to her slow, steady breathing. I stroked her hair. It was like silk ribbons in my hands. I wove my fingers in it and sighed softly. There was no way I was going to make it very long like this.

***

Tali: So, random explanation: This scene, or very similar to it anyway, actually happened to me. I was in Atlanta for some training for work for two weeks. The first weekend we were there, the other managers and I decided to go clubbing. I'm not a big girl, about 5'6 and at the time around 105 (yes, I know, painfully skinny. I'm past that now) and kind of shy. I was in a group of three other women and one man and we went to a club the name of which I never got. They were passing around free shots of something utterly amazing I wish I could remember the name of. The girls were off dancing while I held the fort at a booth with our purses and the guy kept coming back to keep me company. At one point, we moved to another part of the club and some random guy grabbed me and dragged me out into the middle of a crowded, dark dance floor and started the bump and grind. It was then that I realized that being surrounded by people I don't know really freaks me out. Luckily, the guy I was there with saw my panic and rescued me. He was HUGE, easily over 6 feet and built like a linebacker. (I've had a couple such guy friends who helped me out in weird guy situations now that I think about it...) and he just kind of parted the crowds like Moses and wrapped his arms around me and pulled me out of there and took me outside to get some air. He found me some water and got the other girls and we went back to our hotel, stopping for McD's on the way home. I wish I could remember his name, but he was truly my hero that night. Nothing romantic EVER happened between us, that part is all my active imagination, though he was pretty cute and terribly sweet. We all felt like ass the next day, but that's cause we were stupid and drank way too much. Its weird how a strange man you've only known for five days is preferable over a strange man you don't know at all...


	7. Chapter 7

Tali: Seriously people! 972 hits! On six chapter! You rock my face off. Totally. Which is a little disappointing, cause I actually kind of like my face. Keep rockin' it though! Thanks for all the favorites and alerts and most definitely the reviews! They make me giggle like a two year old. And I know, I have nephews and nieces who giggle like the children they are. Well....the little ones do. The older ones are punks, but that's neither here nor there. Enjoy!

***

Bella's POV

When I woke up Monday morning, Edward and I were in much the same position as we had been the last time we slept together: legs tangled, arms around each other, his hand tangled up in my hair. And morning wood.

I rolled my eyes and pulled away from Edward. I dropped out of bed and padded down the hall to the bathroom. I winced when I saw myself. My make-up was smudged and my hair looked awful. Edward apparently played with my hair a lot in our sleep. I grinned stupidly at myself as I pulled out the remaining bobby pins and finger combed it trying to get the tangles out. I tied it back and washed my face and brushed my teeth.

Once I was satisfied with my appearance, I headed back to my room. Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed yawning and scratching his stomach. His hair was pretty messy too, so I must have played with it in my sleep. I grinned sheepishly at him.

"Morning," I greeted him, standing in the door on one foot.

"Hey," he grinned at me. "Feeling better?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Sleeping with you I sleep better."

He laughed. "Yeah, same here. I'm tempted to insist we share a bed every night."

A big stupid grin spread across my face before I could stop myself. "I wouldn't mind, actually. Something about your weight on me is oddly comforting."

He grinned and winked at me. "We'll see." He stood up and stretched again. He kissed the top of my head as he passed me out the door and up to his room.

I pulled some clean shorts out and slid them on along with a bra before heading downstairs. When I hit the last step I was wrapped in strong arms.

"Shit, Bella, I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have been making out with Yelena. Will you ever forgive me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Emmett it wasn't your fault, that guy was pretty determined."

"Yeah, but if I'd been paying attention, it wouldn't have gotten as far as it did."

I stepped up a couple steps so I was eye level with him. "I don't blame you," I said carefully, looking into his eyes. "It just happened and everything is fine now." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Stop blaming yourself."

He grinned. "If you insist." He squeezed me tight and lightly dropped me on the floor. "So, what's on tap for today?"

I shrugged. "I need to go get my textbooks. I was allowed to register for classes online since I live in Texas but I still have to get my books. I've got the other school supplies like pens and pencils and notebooks."

He grinned and draped an arm around my shoulders as we headed into the kitchen. "Sweet. As my penance I'll take you textbook shopping. I need to get some, too."

I laughed. "Can you get yours here?"

"Oh shit, you're right." He laughed. "Ok, so I'll just take you to get yours then I'll get mine next time I'm in Springfield."

We settled ourselves at the kitchen table with bowls of cereal and teased each other while we ate. As we finished, Edward appeared fully dressed.

"Morning," he greeted us, winking at me.

"Hey, you working today?" asked Emmett curiously

Edward nodded. "Yeah, then I've probably got to go appease Rosalie. I may not be back tonight."

I turned away from the guys, putting the milk away to hide my disappointment. "So you won't be here for dinner tonight then."

"No, probably not. What am I missing?"

I shrugged. "I hadn't decided yet. Maybe meatloaf."

"Save me some and I'll eat it tomorrow."

"Fuck that," snorted Emmett. "If you're not here you don't get any."

I grinned. "I always make a double batch and freeze half of it for later. I'll just make sure you're here for next time."

He grinned. "And that's why you're my favorite roommate," he leaned over and kissed my head while giving Emmett the finger. "See you cats later," he called as he headed out the kitchen door.

Emmett stared at me. "Ok, what the fuck was that?"

"What?" I asked innocently.

He rolled his eyes. "That kiss was not that innocent. Plus when he realized what was going on with you and that guy last night I thought he was going to rip that guy a new one. I've never seen him like that with any girl. Are you two fucking?"

I shook my head. "Seriously, what is with you people? We're just friends. He has a girlfriend and I'm like a sister to him. He's even said so."

Emmett waved his hand dismissively. "That's because he's an idiot male who doesn't know his own mind. There's something there."

I laughed softly. "Well I'll admit to something on my part, but…I don't think so on his part. Of course, I have to tell myself that so I don't go insane."

He laughed. "Oh trust me, there's something there. Now," he stood up and quickly washed his bowl in the sink, "are you ready to go do some book shopping?"

I groaned but nodded. "Yeah, let me go get a razor blade to open up a vain so they can bleed me dry."

His laughter followed me upstairs.

Hours later we returned with my books. I set about fixing dinner while he headed downstairs to see what the others were up to. I was still exhausted from last night. I'd slept really well but the stress had almost been more than I could take.

It was strange how well I slept when Edward was in the bed. The few nights I hadn't had his presence I'd tossed and turned. His arms around me and his chest against mine were oddly comforting. I scowled at myself when the knife slipped and I nicked my finger while slicing up the cucumbers for the salad. I ran cold water over it, grimacing as the water turned red. This was probably deeper than I'd done in a while.

"What happened?"

I looked up surprised to see Emmett standing over me. I grinned sheepishly. "I cut myself."

He rolled his eyes and took my hand and studied my finger. It was still bleeding pretty badly. "Here," he handed me a paper towel. "Keep pressure on it until it stops bleeding. I've got some ointment and shit here." He squatted down and rummaged under the sink for a moment and pulled out a first aid kit.

Once my finger stopped bleeding, he cleaned the wound with an alcohol swap, making me wince. He blew on it lightly, grinning up at me. I rolled my eyes. "So I'm a big baby. Get over it."

He laughed as he rubbed some ointment on it then put on a bandage. "All better," he announced, washing his hands in the sink.

"Thanks. I typically don't cut myself quite so bad."

He rolled his eyes and helped me finish up dinner. "It's good practice for when I'm a surgeon. I'm almost disappointed it wasn't worse."

I laughed and punched his arm lightly. The others appeared and we ate. I made my excuses and headed up to bed immediately after. I crawled into bed and hugged the pillow that smelled like Edward, drifting off to restless sleep.

Edward's POV

"So you forgive me?" I asked, rubbing Rosalie's shoulder.

She sighed. "I guess. You're never that nice to me," she pouted.

I rolled my eyes. "You don't need to be taken care of like Bella does. You're pretty independent. She's still just a kid and figuring out what she wants. You already know."

She grinned up at me. "So what's making you be so nice to me now?"

I sighed. "I feel bad that you've been so stressed out recently. There's nothing going on between me and Bella and you seem to think there is. I just don't want you to feel threatened." Where the fuck was this shit coming from?

She snuggled against me. "So you're still mine?"

I forced a grin. "Yeah, sure."

She sighed contentedly. Before too long, she was fast asleep.

I lay in the dark and stared at the ceiling. What the hell was I doing here? I'd practically decided to break up with her and here I was in bed with her and making nice. Crazy sex would do that, I guessed. Plus she'd answered the door in nothing but some sexy blue lingerie that was barely there. It was hard to resist that on any woman, let alone one who looked like Rosalie. It was like she had a split personality or something.

So, being the dick of a male that I was, I caved and stayed for an afternoon of great sex and food, followed by relationship discussions. I had learned to handle Rosalie's mood swings. The familiar was comforting. It was the unknown that scared the shit out of me.

The next morning I was up and out the door early. Rosalie's parents were coming and she needed to get ready for them. That meant disposing of any evidence that she was anything other than the perfect angel her parents were convinced she was. I didn't like her parents anyway, so that wasn't a problem. Her dad was a douche and her mom eyed me like I was the last piece of chicken and she was a starving man.

I got back to the house before anyone else was up, so I crept upstairs. I paused outside Bella's room and looked in. There was a pillow on the floor and she was tangled up in the blankets. Her hair was splayed across the remaining pillow and mattress. She hadn't braided it last night. I felt a strong pull towards her but no way was I going to crawl in her bed stinking of Rosalie's.

Mentally cursing my weakness, I headed upstairs and collapsed on my own bed.

***

Tali: Yes, I know. You all hate this Rosalie and wonder why he's with her. It's to draw out the story, honestly. I have other stuff happening to them. Plus, if they just got together, it'd be a crazy short story. Edward needs to realize that there's more to a real relationship than sex and if he and Bella got together, he wouldn't necessarily figure that out. He's learning what it's like to have a girl as a friend independent from other people (Alice is his best friend's girl so she doesn't count). Having opposite sex friends is actually pretty great in college and he hasn't really experienced that. They will be friends before they become more. Just trust me, people.


	8. Chapter 8

Tali: as one review put it so eloquently: The previous chapter sucked because nothing happened. Sorry, sometimes there just needs to be some filler, they just need to be. Here's another chapter, hope it doesn't suck as much as the last one. I may or may not take to updating more often, depending on how much of the later stuff I get written. I prefer to update on a regular schedule and not leave you waiting for days or even weeks at a time while I write.

***

Bella's POV

I sighed and rolled over. I ached from restless sleep. I frowned when I saw the Edward-scented pillow on the floor across the room. I climbed out of bed, almost losing my balance as I tried to disentangle myself from the sheets and blankets. I was back to thrashing apparently.

Today was my first day with the kids. I had the directions to the school and I didn't need to pick them up until 2:30 so that gave me all morning and part of the afternoon to do whatever I wanted. I grabbed a book and curled up on my bed to spend the morning reading. Alice and Jasper were up at their campus getting books since Jasper had to work the rest of the week. Emmett was out looking for a job. Apparently he'd quit the one he had last year, not liking being a waiter almost as much as Jasper. I wondered if his lack of people skills would affect his medical practice.

I was about halfway through the book when there was a soft knock on my door. I looked up and smiled at Edward.

"Hey you," I set my book down. "How'd things go with Rosalie last night?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. She forgave me." He settled himself down on my bed. "So are you ready for your job with the kids?"

I laughed. "I sure hope so. We'll see today."

He patted my knee. "You'll do great. I'm sure you're great with kids. You seem to be able to handle us losers pretty well and we're really just a bunch of big kids."

I laughed. "Thanks."

We sat and chatted for a while until he had to go to work. The conversation was somewhat awkward, very shallow. Edward carefully avoided deep topics and all flirting. By the time he was leaving for work, it was time for me to get ready for my job.

I took a quick shower and dressed in jean capris and a red tank top. I twisted my hair up into a messy bun and headed out.

The school was amazing. It had grades K-12 according to the sign. The school looked like a miniature college campus. I was sure it was better than any school I'd ever been to. I parked and headed in, unsure of how exactly this was supposed to go down. I stopped in the office and smiled at a plump redhead.  
"Hi, I'm here to pick up Hillary and Todd Bonner," I said with a smile.

She looked at me over the tops of her glasses. "Name?"

"Bella Swan."

She rifled through some pages. "Ah yes. Hillary is in building 3 and Todd is in building 7. You'll be able to pick them up out front in the future but in inclement weather and today you need to go to their buildings."

I nodded and grabbed a map. "Thanks!" I said cheerfully.

She didn't respond to me as I headed out the door. I paused and studied the map before setting off for the closest building, 3.

I knocked on the door hesitantly and a young woman with light brown hair opened it. She smiled at me cheerfully. "Hi, are you one of the moms?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm a nanny. I'm here for Hillary."

"Bella!" I heard Hillary exclaiming. I looked past the teacher and grinned at her. She was coming towards me with a huge grin on her face. She looked up at me. "I'm so glad you're here. I'm ready to go home."

I laughed and looked up at the teacher. "Do I need to sign anything?"

She shook her head. "Nope, have a great day!"

We headed off and picked up Todd, getting much the same reaction. I loaded the kids up in the car and we set off. Tuesdays Hillary had her piano lessons, so I dropped her off, running in to meet the teacher, before heading to the house with Todd. Tomorrow it would be one on one with Hillary while he was at soccer practice.

When we got to the house, I let Todd run around and play with Buster for awhile while I got his snack ready: apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and another Capri Sun. He sat at the kitchen table swinging his legs and telling me about his classes excitedly. Before too long it was time to go pick up Hillary.

Once back at the house, she got a snack and some play time while he sat down to do the homework he'd gotten. I felt for the kids, it sucked to get homework on the first day.

I settled Hillary down with her homework and I resumed my book, helping them when needed. Five o'clock came quickly and Anne came in with a smile on her face.

"How was everything?" she asked as the kids gave her hugs.

"Great," I said enthusiastically. "Hillary made it to lessons, they both had snacks and did some homework and played with Buster."

"They got homework on the first day?"

I nodded. "Crummy, huh?"

"Totally," sighed Hillary dramatically.

I laughed and gave the kids a hug as I headed out the door. I trotted across the yards and up the stairs. "Hey Edward," I greeted him as I came through the door. He looked up with a grin.

"So was I right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Everything was fine. Since I've only got them for a few hours it's not like we could get into any serious trouble, right?"

He laughed. "I'm sure you could figure it out," he winked at me.

I made a face at him and started cooking. Tonight I was trying something new: turkey bacon turnovers.

Edward kept me company while I worked, watching with interest while I folded the puff pastry carefully and brushed it with an egg wash. I slid the turnovers into the oven and started to clean up.

"Hey, that's my job," he laughed bumping me with his hip.

I laughed and moved out of his way. I set the table while the turnovers baked.

The others arrived, drawn by the smell of the food and soon we were all sitting around the table eating. Emmett hadn't had any luck with the job hunt though Alice and Jasper had lots of luck finding their books, although none that were used.

After dinner, we trooped downstairs to watch a movie. Edward seemed somewhat distant towards me, but as we sat and watched, his arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me against his chest. I sighed softly and snuggled against him. When the movie ended, I sat up and smoothed my hair.

"Anyone up for another movie?" asked Emmett looking around the room.

I shook my head. "No, I need to start trying to get on a regular school type schedule. Classes start next week."

That was met with groans. "Thanks for reminding us," muttered Jasper sarcastically. "I'd almost forgotten."

I grinned. "You're completely welcome."

I headed upstairs to wash my face and brush my teeth before crawling into bed. Hopefully tonight's sleep would be better.

I could hear the others going to bed shortly after me. My door opened and Edward's head stuck in.

"Want a bedfellow?" he grinned at me.

I laughed. "I'm ok with it but are you? You've been a little distant today."

He sighed and sat down next to me. "I'm just trying to establish barriers and keep to them."

I raised my eyebrows. "And sleeping in my bed is doing that?"

"I sleep better with you than alone," he said defensively. "And no one follows their own rules 100% of the time."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I'll leave it up to you. You decide what barriers you need to keep Rosalie happy."

A few minutes later I was snuggled up against his chest comfortably and shortly after I was fast asleep.

Edward's POV

Staying away from Bella was going to be hard, but I needed to do it. It wasn't right to get all worked up over her and run to Rosalie, even if the sex was amazing that way.

I waited until I heard her stirring before I made an appearance. She was still in her pajamas, curled up on her bed with a book. She looked so damn cute. I hated that word, but it was perfect for her. She was playing absentmindedly with a stray strand of hair when I knocked on the door. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Hey you," she slid a bookmark into her book and put it on her nightstand. "How'd things go with Rosalie last night?"

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the bed facing her. I didn't really want to go into that. "Fine. She forgave me. So are you ready for your job with the kids?" I was pleased with my smooth conversation change.

She laughed. "I sure hope so. We'll see today."

I reached forward and patted her knee. "You'll do great. I'm sure you're great with kids. You seem to be able to handle us losers pretty well and we're really just a bunch of big kids."

She grinned. "Thanks."

"So…how about them Bulls?" I said after a long pause.

She laughed again. "I know nothing about basketball," she admitted. "That's my dad's thing."

I grinned. "Yeah, my dad too. Whenever he had a chance to watch a game, he would. I usually tried to sneak off. If I'm watching sports I want to watch something bone crushing, like football."

She grinned. "So what does your dad do anyway? You said your mom is a piano teacher."

"He's chief of surgery at Mount Sinai."

She raised her eyebrows. "Impressive. Does he work a lot of hours?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but he always made time for me growing up. I don't think he missed more than a handful of my recitals and awards ceremonies. The few years I was in sports, he was at every game and as many practices as he could be. We even tried the scouts for a year and he made it to most of the meetings."

"That's cool. So is he why you want to be a doctor?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I wanna be just like him when I grow up."

She rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a good role model but I don't think you'll ever grow up."

I ran my finger up the bottom of her bare foot. "Watch it, I may someday be treating you. And I _will_ remember this."

She stuck her tongue out at me. I laughed then grimaced when I saw the clock on her bedside. "Is that right?" I asked gesturing to it.

She looked over and nodded. "Yes. Why would I have a clock that was set wrong?"

I shrugged. "Some people set them ahead." I stood up. "I've got to get to work. I'll see you later?"

She nodded and waved as I headed out.

Work was quiet and my boss ended up sending me home a little early. I grabbed my book and iPod and headed to the living room. I really needed to think about getting an armchair and footstool for my room. That and a refrigerator. Of course, if I did, I'd never leave.

I was midway through a chapter when Bella bounced through the door. She smiled at me.

"Hey Edward."

Obviously things went well. "So was I right?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Everything was fine. Since I've only got them for a few hours it's not like we could get into any serious trouble, right?"

I laughed, a million ways trouble could have occurred in just a few hours running through my mind. "I'm sure you could have figured it out," I teased.

She made a face at me and headed into the kitchen to start cooking. I followed her and watched with interest while she pulled some different ingredients out of the refrigerator and freezer and started making what looked like sandwiches with puff pastry instead of bread.

She made quite a pile of dirty dishes and before I quite realized what she was doing, she started washing them.

"Hey, that's my job," I teased her, bumping her out of the way with my hip.

She laughed and moved out of the way. I immediately felt guilty. I'd made that whole promise to myself to stay away from her and here I was looking for ways to be near her and even to touch her. It pissed me off.

I sat across from her at the table so I wouldn't be tempted to bump her knee with mine or worse, reach down and squeeze it. When dinner was done, I helped Jasper and Emmett with the last of the dishes while Alice and Bella hauled the textbooks upstairs.

We all met up in the basement and Emmett popped in a movie, _Animal House._ I rolled my eyes. The Greek life wasn't really any of our preference, mostly due to the fact we lived so far from our schools.

I noticed Bella keeping her distance from me…or rather, I was keeping my distance from her. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I fucking missed her not being against me, even when she was just on the other end of the couch. I reached over and slid my arm around her waist, pulling her against me. She sighed softly and nestled against me. She fit so well, like we were fucking made for each other. It was like some lame ass song or romance novel.

When the credits were rolling, she pulled away and smoothed her hair, smiling at me shyly as she looked at me through her eyelashes.

"Anyone up for another movie?" asked Emmett expectantly.

I kind of hoped Bella would be, but she declined, citing needing to get on a regular school schedule. She headed upstairs amid groans and tossed pillows.

Alice sighed and stood up. "She's right. We've got to get on a better schedule than we've been on."

Jasper scowled and crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child. She rolled her eyes and leaned down so her breasts were in full view. "Would sex make you feel better?"

He grinned. "Shit yeah." He grabbed her arm and practically dragged her upstairs.

I laughed and looked at Emmett. "I'm not having sex with you to make you feel better," I warned.

He rolled his eyes. "Thank fuck for that. There's always Bella," he winked at me and I threw a couch cushion at him. He laughed. "Oh that's right. She's yours."

I gave him the finger as I was heading up the stairs. I stopped in front of Bella's closed door and studied it. I headed upstairs quickly and changed, brushing my teeth before heading back downstairs.

I opened her door cautiously and poked my head in. "Want a bedfellow?"

She chuckled. "I'm ok with it, but are you? You've been a little distant today."

I sighed and crossed the room, sinking down onto the mattress next to her so I didn't have to face her. "I'm just trying to establish barriers and keep to them."

She raised her eyebrows. "And sleeping in my bed is doing that?" she called me on my bullshit.

"I sleep better with you than alone," I huffed. "And no one follows their own rules 100% of the time."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll leave it you. You decide what barriers you need to keep Rosalie happy."

I frowned. I guess it was pretty obvious why I felt I needed barriers. I stood up and pulled the covers back and crawled into bed next to her. She gave me a crooked grin and curled up next to me, resting her head on my chest. I stroked her hair until she fell asleep, then let myself drift off too.

***

Tali: Edward will not figure this out for a while, people. He's dense. Get used to it.


	9. Chapter 9

September

Bella's POV

I scowled at my paper as I hastily wrote down the extra credit work on the board. One month into the school year and I already felt like I was drowning. Six classes probably wasn't the best idea. I checked my watch and growled in my throat. I had fifteen minutes to get the kids.

"Hi, I'm Mike."

I looked up, startled at a pair of friendly brown eyes set in a smiling freckled face. I stared at the guy blankly for a beat. The grin widened.

"This is the part where you introduce yourself," he teased.

I flushed. "Sorry. Bella." I glanced back at the board to make sure I'd gotten everything then started to shove my things in my bag. I realized he was still talking.

"I'm sorry?" I looked up at him apologetically.

He grinned again. "I was commenting on how much more difficult this class is than I thought it would be."

I stood up and slung my bag over my shoulder. "Yeah, math was never my strongest subject anyway. Luckily I've only got to have three semesters of it." I started towards the door. He was right behind me, pulling on his own backpack.

"So I've seen you around campus. You live here?"

"I live in town with some roommates," I explained. "Since I'm paying out of state tuition, it was cheaper to live in my grandparents' old house."

"Out of state, cool. Where are you from?"

"Texas."

He grinned. "Awesome. Do you like, have a ranch down there?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, no ranch, no horses, no cowboy hats. My mom grew up here and she and my dad only moved down there about 20 years ago."

"Oh cool. So, hey, can I get your number and give you a call sometime?"

I froze and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Your number. Maybe we could go on a date, dinner or a movie or something."

"Oh." I stood there, feeling confused. "Um, ok."

I held out my hand for his cell phone and quickly punched in my number and hit send so I would have his number too. I looked up at him and smiled. "I've got to run. Nice to meet you."

Luckily we were at my car at that point so we parted ways and I hurried to get the kids.

It was a quiet day for me, they had swimming lessons until 4, so I sat in the parents' area and worked on the extra credit math problems. I was about halfway through when their lessons ended and we piled into the car.

"Do you know how to swim, Bella?" asked Hillary.

"I do. My big brother taught me when I was Todd's age."

"Is Jasper your brother?" asked Todd.

"No, he's my cousin."

"Like Riley's our cousin?"

I had no idea who Riley was. "Sure."

We pulled up at my house and the kids ran next door as was the routine. I followed behind them and opened the door. Buster nearly knocked us over in his excitement. Todd dropped to his knees and started playing with him while Hillary ran upstairs to change. I headed into the kitchen to put together their snack. After swimming they were always ravenous, so I made them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and poured glasses of milk.

"Snack time," I called. Todd came running in and threw himself into his chair, reaching for the sandwich. I raised my eyebrows. "Hands."

He groaned but headed off to the half bath to clean up. Hillary passed him in the dining room. "I already washed my hands," she announced, holding them up for my inspection.

I waved her to the table. "Do you want windows or puzzles?" I asked as I picked up the knife to cut the sandwich.

"What's that?" she asked confused.

I laughed. "It's how my mom would cut my sandwiches. Saying squares or triangles was boring so she would say windows or puzzles."

"Oh. Can I have puzzles please?"

I grinned. "Of course."

"I want windows," announced Todd, holding his hands up to me.

I set their sandwiches down and they dug in. I ate my own standing up at the counter while I cleaned up the little bit of mess I'd made.

When the kids were done, Todd went to change and Hillary started on her homework. I retrieved my bag from the living room and joined her at the table in the attic. Todd joined us shortly after and settled down to his own homework. We sat in quiet company for the next couple of hours while we worked.

I was packing up my things when my phone rang. I frowned, not recognizing the number. I answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bella, its Mike."

"Mike," I repeated, drawing a blank. Then it clicked. "Oh Mike. Hi! I didn't expect you to call so soon."

He laughed. "Sorry, I just couldn't wait. I've been working up the courage for the last month to ask you out so I figured I should do it before I completely lost my nerve."

I chuckled. "All month, huh? Am I that intimidating?"

Hillary looked at me curiously. "What does intimidating mean?"

I covered the mouth piece with my hand. "Scary."

"Oh." She went back to her math problems.

"Hello?"

"Sorry Mike, you caught me at work. Can I call you back in about an hour? I should be done by then."

"Oh yeah, sorry. I really just wanted to see if you were free tonight."

"Tonight. Wow, that's soon."

"Yeah, why draw out the agony any more, you know?"

I grinned. "Let me check and see if my roommates have anything planned for the evening and I'll get back to you."

"Cool. You've got my number so I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, bye." I flipped the phone closed and grinned at it. This was actually kind of exciting.

"Was that your boyfriend?" asked Hillary curiously.

I laughed. "No, I don't have a boyfriend. That was just a boy in my class at school."

"Ok." She went back to her schoolwork again.

Todd looked up at me thoughtfully. "Do you kiss boys, Bella?"

I felt my face flare up. "Sometimes. Why?"

"I'm just wondering. Sometimes Mom and Dad kiss. And people in movies kiss. And I saw some big kids at school kissing."

"What's kissing like?" asked Hillary.

I felt like a fish out of water. How was I supposed to explain all this? "It's hard to describe," I said finally. "You kind of just have to experience it for yourself. But neither of you are old enough. You have to be at least a teenager."

Hillary rolled her eyes. "I'm _almost_ a teenager. I will be next spring."

I grinned. "Well, then you'll get to talk about all sorts of stuff with your mom and kissing might be on that list."

She sighed. "I think it embarrasses her. I asked her once where babies come from and she started talking about birds and bees. What do bugs have to do with babies?" she looked up at me puzzled.

I stifled a laugh. "Well, it's just a complicated process. And sometimes moms and dads get confused as to what is the best way to explain it."

"Oh." Todd's brow was furrowed. "When do you think they'll try to tell me?"

I shrugged. "My parents told me and my brother at the same time and I was seven and he was ten. I think it's different for different families."

I was saved from further questions by Anne arriving. The kids gave her hugs before getting back to their homework.

"Anne, can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked as I pulled my bag onto my shoulder.

"Sure," she said with an uneasy smile. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," I laughed softly, pulling her downstairs. "I had a call from a friend of mine earlier and after I hung up they started asking me about kissing and that led to where babies come from." Her face paled and her eyes widened. "I didn't tell them anything," I said quickly, "but I think you should know that the talk you had with Hillary really just confused her and Todd is getting curious, too. So…it may be time to…go there."

She sighed. "I've been dreading this. I'm not good at that kind of conversation. My own mom just gave me a book."

"If you're honest I think they'll be fine. They're smart, good kids. They just want to know what's going on in the world and how things get there."

She nodded. "Thanks for letting me know. Have a good evening, Bella."

I grinned and headed down to the first floor while she headed back up to the attic.

As I was crossing the yards my cell phone rang again. I checked and rolled my eyes. Mike again. "So are you stalking me now?" I teased as I answered.

He laughed. "I'm impatient, what can I say."

"Well, I'm just now getting home." I dropped my backpack on the couch in the living room. "My roommate Edward is here somewhere. Let me see if he knows what's going on, hold on a sec." I pressed the phone to my chest.

"Edward! Where are you?"

"My room," he called back faintly.

I groaned and headed upstairs. I was out of breath by the time I got to the attic. He was sitting at his desk working on his laptop. He turned and raised an eyebrow at me. "I always knew I could make you breathe heavy for me," he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Do we have anything going on tonight?"

He shook his head. "Not that I know. We've all gotten a little swamped with homework so I guess it's that. Why, you have an idea?"

"No, a possible date."

He sat back looking stunned. "A date?"

I nodded and held up the phone before pressing it back against my chest. "A guy in my math class wants to know if I'm free tonight and I just wanted to make sure I wasn't skipping out on anything here."

"Um, no, not that I know of." The smile that had been on his face when I came in was gone now. I wondered about it but Mike was still on the phone. I headed back down to my room.

"Mike?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry about that. The only one home is the one who lives in the attic. I'm free tonight if you're serious about doing something."

"Completely. Pick you up at 7?"

"Ok." I gave him the address then flipped the phone closed. I thought about my backpack downstairs then looked up at the ceiling. I sighed and headed back upstairs.

Edward was still sitting at his desk but he wasn't working anymore. Instead he was scowling at the screen.

"Computer being uppity?" I asked as I sat down on the bed and leaned back on my elbows.

He looked up at me with annoyance. "No. Just frustrated. School is starting to get to me."

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "So is that everything that's bothering you?"

He frowned at me. "Why would you think there was something else?" he demanded.

"Because of the way your attitude changed when I was up here earlier." I studied him for a moment. "Oh my lord, are you jealous that I have a date?" I gasped.

He scowled. "No." I was so right.

I swallowed a smile. "So you're jealous I get to go out tonight while you're stuck here with homework?"

His jaw worked like he was trying to keep himself from saying something. "Maybe," he finally allowed. "Seriously, I'm just frustrated."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever," I muttered. I stood up and stretched. "Well, I've got about 30 minutes before Mike shows up so I need to go make myself look cute." I gave him a shoulder hug as I passed.

Alice and Jasper were coming up the stairs as I descended. Alice raised her eyebrows at me. "I've got a date," I announced, cutting off the inevitable teasing questions. "A guy from my math class. He'll be here at 7."

Alice grinned. "Oh, I'm so helping you get ready." She shoved her backpack at Jasper and hurried down the hall. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into my room.

She quickly dressed me in tight jeans and a flirty top with some black heels. I swiped on some mascara and lip gloss while Alice played with my hair a little.

"I wish I had more time," she tsked. "When did he ask you out?"

"A couple hours ago."

She laughed. "So you're using him to get at Edward, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Hardly, though I think he is somewhat jealous."

She grinned. "Fuck yeah he's jealous. He wants to be the one taking you out."

I stuck my tongue out at her in the mirror. The doorbell rang then and my heart skipped a beat.

"Cripes," I muttered. "I haven't been on a date in months. Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Whatever. You'll be fine. Just don't put out on the first date. Makes you look cheap."

I laughed as we headed down the stairs.

Mike was standing in the living room, talking to Jasper and Emmett. He had on khaki pants and a blue polo shirt. I noticed for the first time that he had short blond hair. He grinned up at us.

"Hey, Bella, you look great."

I smiled. "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself."

We headed down the steps to a waiting truck outside. Mike helped me in and we headed out.

"So are you from any part of Texas I might have heard about?" he asked conversationally.

I grinned. "Most people have only heard of Dallas and Houston. I was born in the Dallas area but most recently I hail from the Austin area."

"Where's Austin?"

"South of Dallas about 3 hours."

He frowned. "How far is 3 hours?"

I laughed. "I forget everyone else generally gauges distance by miles instead of hours. It's around 180 miles pretty straight south of Dallas."

He nodded. "So have you ever been to the South Fork Ranch?"

I stared at him in confusion. "The where?"

"South Fork. You know, from the TV show 'Dallas.'"

"Oh. I never saw it and I was pretty young when we left Dallas. Whenever I go up there, we generally just do some shopping or see something like a play or a movie or whatever. There's not tons of touristy stuff there."

"What about the place where JFK was shot?"

I shook my head. "I haven't been there, either."

He frowned. "So where have you been that I might have heard of?"

I rolled my eyes. "Heard of Chicago, New York, D.C.? I've been to all those places and more. When a place is your home state you just generally don't do much sight-seeing there."

"You've at least been to the Alamo, right?"

I laughed. "Yeah, a few times. San Antonio is close to Austin."

"What's San Antonio?"

I groaned. It was going to be a long night.

Edward's POV

I scowled at the screen. I couldn't focus on anything. I'd been rereading the same damn thing for three hours now, ever since Bella left on her date. And where the hell did they go that they were gone for three hours?

I growled and ran my fingers through my hair. I was tired and just needed to get to bed. I had an 8 am class in the morning and I wasn't looking forward to the drive. I stripped down and hopped in the shower, hoping the hot water would relieve some of the tension in my shoulders.

Twenty minutes later I was lying in bed trying to sleep. I couldn't. I'd gotten spoiled sleeping next to Bella every night, or most nights. Every night I was without Rosalie anyway.

The house was quiet. Everyone was either sleeping or studying. Or out. I thumped my pillow and rolled over. Why was this getting to me so much? Why was I so bugged about her being on a date with some guy? I didn't have any real claim on her. I was just her friend. A friend who shared her bed most nights, and wanted to fuck her senseless but a friend. I'd made that clear and she'd stuck to the boundaries. Besides, I shouldn't care if she was dating if all I wanted was sex, right?

I heard footsteps on the stairs up to my room and I sat up, wondering who the hell was coming upstairs. Bella's head popped up above the floor. She smiled when she saw me sitting up in bed.

"Waiting up for me?" she teased.

"Fuck no, I was doing homework. Plus, I'm in bed, as you can clearly see."

She grinned. "So are we sleeping up here or separately tonight?"

"Well, I'm already in bed here."

"Ok. Give me a minute to change and brush my teeth and I'll be up." She disappeared downstairs, humming to herself.

I scowled. Apparently the date had gone well. That only made me angrier. She reappeared a little while later wearing shorts and a camisole that I absolutely loved. They were made of some soft silky pale pink material. Her hair was in a long braid and her face was freshly scrubbed.

She pulled the covers back and crawled in next to me, sighing softly as she settled against the pillow. She looked over at me expectantly.

I looked back at her. She almost looked like a little kid with her face all shiny and her hair braided like that.

"Well?"

"Well what?" I asked.

"Aren't you going to ask me how it went?"

I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't aware I was a junior high girl."

She punched me lightly in the arm. "It was fun, for your information. He took me to dinner at Chili's and then we went to the drive in."

I bristled. "The drive in?"

"Yeah. Some lame movie was showing so we spent the time talking." She yawned. "He's pretty boring, but nice. I might go out with him again."

I laughed. "If he's boring why go out with him again?"

She gave a one shouldered shrug. She was falling asleep. "Cause he's the only one asking, I guess. I need to do more than work and school and cook for y'all. I need some kind of outside social interaction, right? And I'm not about to join a sorority."

I grinned. That's my girl.

"So, for now anyway, it's Mike."

She was falling asleep fast, so I kissed the top of her head and pulled her against my chest. "Well, just make sure he knows we'll kick his ass if he hurts you. Or if you just want us to."

She smiled and pressed a light kiss against my chest.

"My hero."

I studied her for a moment. "Bella?" I whispered.

"Mmm?" she murmured, clearly almost asleep.

"Did you kiss him?"

"No. I don't put out on the first date. Makes you look cheap." Her voice was slurred slightly.

I chuckled softly. "Kissing isn't putting out."

"I didn't do that, either."

I grinned into the darkness. That made me happier than it should.

***

Tali: Yes, I know. Three chapters in like, 24 hours. I've got tons written and I'm eager to get it published. (Seriously just took three tries to type that and all included the letter g.) I haven't written up the later chapters yet, so I'm trying to pace myself so I don't catch up resulting in a lull. I spent the last couple of hours after work doing some rewrites that I think make it a little more interesting...we shall see...hehe

Enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10

Bella's POV

"I've made a decision."

I looked up expectantly as Alice hopped up onto the counter, swinging her bare feet like a child. "You've finally come to your senses and you're dumping Jasper?" I teased.

She rolled her eyes. "No. He's stuck with me. I've decided that we need to have a roommate only cookout. That means no significant others like Mike and Rosalie. You've been bragging about your fucking burgers, prove it missy."

I laughed. "I have not been bragging. I made one comment a month ago. I'll make food, but I haven't been bragging."

"Whatever, Tex." We both looked up as Emmett came into the kitchen. "You know you think your shit is badass."

"Probably because you keep telling me it is," I rolled my eyes at him. "So when are we doing this cookout?"

"Tonight. You have everything you need for burgers?"

I shook my head. "No, but we can do a quick grocery run. I've got a recipe for garlic parmesan fries that are fantastic."

Emmett's eyes lit up. "I fucking love you, Bella."

I laughed. "So you're up for a grocery store run?"

"Fuck yeah. Let me drop my shit." He disappeared down the stairs and Alice smiled at me triumphantly.

"We're also going to play Truth or Dare, so get lots of beer."

I groaned. "Seriously? I haven't played that since like, 6th grade. We always ended up having someone running around without a bra on."

"Have you ever played with guys?"

"Nope."

"It's way more fun with guys."

"What's way more fun with guys?"

Alice looked at Emmett, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Truth or Dare."

His face broke into a huge grin. "Fuck yeah. I get to go first."

"Let's just go get the food," I grumbled.

Emmett laughed as we headed out. We climbed into my car and got to the grocery store quickly. There were advantages to being in a small town. We grabbed a few pounds of ground beef and some potatoes. I had most everything else at home, but we grabbed a few extra items just to be sure we had it.

"So you have any interesting romantic prospects?" I asked Emmett as we pushed the cart through the aisles.

He shook his head and tossed a bag of chips into the basket. "No, not really. They're all pretty focused on school. I need a girl who likes to have fun on top of being a good student."

I grinned at him. "Good luck with that."

"No shit."

We paused in the bakery and contemplated the sweets. "We need a cake," Emmett decided finally, grabbing a chocolate cake with thick chocolate icing.

I laughed. "Why do we need a cake?"

"Because cake makes everything better," he shrugged.

I couldn't argue with his logic so we placed it in the cart. When we got home, Jasper and Edward were already outside starting up the grill and arguing. Emmett grinned.

"Looks like the ladies need help figuring out how to start a fire."

I laughed. "You get on out there then. Alice can help with the food."

He grabbed a six pack and headed outside to sit with the others. Alice and I quickly set to work on the burgers and fries.

"So, anything new with you and Edward?" she asked casually as she popped a hunk of cheese in her mouth.

I frowned. "I've been going on dates with Mike and he's still with Rosalie. What do you think?"

She shrugged. "Just asking. You two still seem pretty cozy."

I sighed. "It's so weird. I almost feel like we're dating but not dating. There's no forward motion, but no real withdraw, either." I shrugged as I made a careful pile of patties on the plate. "It's annoying, but kind of comforting."

"He's an ass."

I laughed and held out the plate. "Take the asses the meat and tell them not to burn it while I put the fries in."

She rolled her eyes and hopped down from the counter and sashayed out of the kitchen.

I sighed as she disappeared and turned my attention back to the mess. I started to clean up for lack of anything better to do. The potatoes were in the oven and didn't need much attention. I was just exhausted from the school week and the dances with both Mike and Edward. Mike wanted more and wasn't being terribly subtle about it. I knew I wouldn't stay a virgin forever, but the thought of ending it with him, his sloppy wet kisses and hands that seemed to have extra digits made me physically ill.

I put together a couple platters of add ons for the burgers and the condiments and took everything outside. There was a small card table we were using for our buffet table and I was doubtful it would hold everything. I carefully set the plates down and headed back inside to finish cleaning up while they cooked.

It wasn't long before we were all sitting around outside, enjoying the last rays of summer sun on our skin.

"Damn, Bella, these are the shit," Emmett moaned in appreciation. "What's your secret?"

I grinned. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret."

He rolled his eyes and took another massive bite.

"Fries are good, too," mumbled Edward.

"Thanks. Now y'all know better than to doubt me." I winked at him and he flashed a grin back at me before taking another bite.

Alice and Jasper were having some private conversation on the glider while the rest of us chatted easily in our camp chairs. We finished up and started to do the little bit of clean up left. Alice and Jasper stayed outside to put out the still smoldering coals while Emmett and Edward and I carried empty plates and the table back inside.

I set to work storing leftovers while the boys worked on washing up dishes. It didn't take long before we grabbed new beers and headed back outside.

Alice and Jasper were still working on putting out the fire when we settled down in seats. I claimed the glider and Edward took the other end, Emmett threw himself across us, nearly knocking our drinks over. At our laughs of protest, the loving couple turned around, surprised.

"Ha ha, you get the camp chairs," I sang as I attempted to free myself from Emmett's hip bone. "Get off me you git. I can't breathe."

"Git? What are you, British? You need to lay off the Harry Potter," he teased as he climbed off carefully. He settled himself into a camp chair, resting his feet on the arm of the glider by me.

I made a face at him, then moved so I was leaning against Edward. Jasper took the other camp chair and Alice settled comfortably into his lap. Emmett produced drinks for them from somewhere and we all sat, chatting easily and drinking. I was comfortable and sleepy and the alcohol was making me sleepier. I snuggled against Edward's chest, grateful he was such a hot body.

"You don't mind if I take a quick nap, right?" I mumbled against his shirt.

He chuckled softly. "Snooze away, but if you drool on my shirt…"

"Bite me."

"You wish."

I grinned and poked him in the side before sitting up. I yawned and looked at the others.

"Are we seriously going to play Truth or Dare? If so, we should do it now or I'm going to fall asleep. Otherwise, I think I'll go to bed."

"We definitely are," beamed Alice.

"What are, in 5th grade?" snickered Jasper.

"Shut up. It's fun. As grown-ups we can do all sorts of crazy shit. I'll go first. Alice, truth or dare." Emmett grinned evilly.

She rolled her eyes. "Truth."

"Weenie."

"Bitch."

He laughed. "How often do you masturbate?"

Her eyes bugged out of her head. "What the hell? No, don't worry about starting with something easy, just jump in there why don't you."

He grinned, but we were all listening for her reply.

"I don't masturbate," she said crossly. "I've got Jasper."

"Yeah, but I'm not around all the time," he pointed out with a grin.

Her scowl deepened. "I, unlike you perverts, can go a few days without needing to get off, thank you very much. It makes the inevitable orgasm so much better that way."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on, Alice. Fess up. You do it every morning don't you?"

Her face turned pink, pretty much confirming my accusation. The whole group burst out laughing and she buried her face in Jasper's neck. He laughed and rubbed her back, whispering something in her ear. She looked up at him and grinned, then turned to me.

"Oh durn," I muttered.

"Bella, truth or dare."

I groaned. "Which is worse?"

"No idea. Why don't you pick and find out?"

I rolled my eyes. "Truth."

"How often do YOU masturbate?" she sat back looking triumphant.

"Foul!" shouted Edward, startling me. "You can't ask the same question you were just asked. New question."

Emmett nodded his agreement. "Yeah, no fair. You have to think of your own shit, plagiarizer."

She pouted, then looked thoughtful. "Ok, how many guys have you kissed?"

"What?! Lame," Emmett grumbled into his beer.

Alice shrugged. "She's a lightweight. And I can't think of anything else."

I rolled my eyes. "That is pretty lame, I must admit. Counting Mike, four."

"Just four?" Jasper looked really surprised. "I thought you were like, the hottie of the high school."

I shrugged. "I may have been the hottie, but I didn't get around like that. I was pretty tame in high school."

"Did you at least have sex with one of the other three?" demanded Emmett.

I felt my face turn pink. "I don't have to answer that, it's not my turn to answer anymore."

He laughed. "You so did! You're embarrassed to talk about sex!"

"I hate you."

"No you don't," he grinned at me through the darkness. Edward was chuckling beside me and Jasper and Alice were laughing too. "But you can go now. I'll definitely keep all this in mind for the future, though."

I made a face at him and looked around the circle thoughtfully. "Jasper."

He rolled his eyes. "Dare."

I grinned. "Nothing major, but I'd like to see you perform a lap dance."

He laughed. "I can do that." He lifted Alice up and stood up himself. She sat down in the chair and looked up expectantly.

"No no, not Alice." He looked at me surprised. "Not me either. Emmett."

My declaration was met with silence. Then loud guffaws of laughter came from Edward.

"Fuckin' SWEET!" he crowed. Emmett scowled, but Jasper shuffled over.

"Sorry dude," he muttered.

"Wait," Alice exclaimed "we need music." She ran inside and turned on the radio on the stereo, flipping through stations until she found a dance remix of something. She returned with a huge stupid grin on her face.

We were all cracking up as we watched Jasper give the most horribly awkward lap dance to Emmett. Emmett kept grimacing before he finally shrugged and put his hands on Jasper's hips and started getting into the joke. I leaned against Edward's chest I was laughing so hard at Jasper's hip thrusts and booty shakes. Finally the song ended and Jasper resumed his seat, an embarrassed grin on his face.

"Dude, you both enjoyed that WAY too much," Alice gasped as she came back from turning off the radio and collapsed against Jasper.

Emmett shook his head and drained his beer. "I'm getting refills, anyone want anything?"

We all held up our empty bottles which he collected and disappeared into the house.

"Well, I guess that means you're up, Edward," Jasper chuckled.

Edward shook his head. "Truth, I guess."

"Pussy."

"Do you blame me?" he laughed.

Jasper shook his head. "Ok…where's the weirdest place you've ever had sex?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Easy. Glass elevator in the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas."

My jaw dropped and I twisted around to see him. "Seriously? What skank let you do her in a glass elevator?"

He looked at me. "Rosalie."

I snorted, bursting into laughter just as Emmett returned with everyone's drinks.

"What'd I miss?" he asked, resuming his seat and taking a sip.

"Not much, just Edward confessing to doing Rosalie in a glass elevator in Vegas," I laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "Amateur."

"Oh, you've done better?"

"Sure have. I did a girl in the Ferris wheel at the state fair." He sat back satisfied.

"I'm surrounded by deviants," I said incredulous.

"Prude."

"Man whore."

Edward grinned at me. "You know you want me."

"Whatever."

"Edward, you're up. I guess you have to ask Emmett," Alice interrupted with a laugh.

"Fine. Emmett, truth or dare."

"Dare."

"French Alice."

"Dude, not cool," Jasper protested.

Alice rolled her eyes and walked over to Emmett. She leaned down and they kissed, using tongue, very quickly. She then gulped down some of her drink and kissed Jasper. "Stupid asses," she muttered.

The game went on for a while, getting more and more asinine. There was a strip tease, a naked jog around the house and an order of 5 pizzas to a house down the street. Alice confessed that in the past, she had fantasized about other men during sex, Jasper confessed he was an ass man, and I copped to not having had my first kiss until I was 17. We'd all drained two full beers and were sitting in comfortable silence.

"All right," said Emmett, a sly grin on his face. "I'll close out the evening with one final go. Edward, truth or dare."

I looked up at Edward's face in the dim light. I'd long since resumed my position against his chest, my legs thrown across the arm of the glider. He rolled his eyes. "You've been waiting for me all night haven't you?"

"You know it. Your ass is mine now."

"And you claim you're not gay," I snickered.

Edward groaned and sat in silence for a minute. "Dare, I guess."

Emmett grinned, triumphant. "Kiss Bella."

I froze, shocked. I sat up and stared at him. "Wait, we already had that dare," I protested.

"So? I'm not copying it verbatim. You said French. I said just kiss. It's up to you two if it's a French kiss. You bitches have been dancing around saying you're 'just friends.' Prove it."

"What. The. Hell!?" I exclaimed.

Alice and Jasper started at Emmett in shocked silence, then Alice let out a low breath. "Even _I_ didn't go there," she said softly.

My face was so hot, I knew it was bright red. "Well, on that note, I'm going to bed," I muttered, standing up. I was drunker than I realized and I toppled over, landing awkwardly on Edward's lap. He wrapped his arms around me, chuckling softly in my ear. "No, really, I'm going to bed. You people are deviants." I grumbled as I pushed against Edward and headed inside. I turned at the door. "You know, we've all got school tomorrow."

"Oh, come on, Bells, it's just a kiss," Jasper pointed out. "He's got a point. If you're just friends, it's not a big deal, right?"

I scowled at him and looked to Edward for support. He shrugged. "It's just a kiss, right?"

Edward's POV

She chewed on her lip and stared at me, thinking. She finally huffed and sat down across my legs. "Fine, but then I'm going to bed."

She put her hands up and grabbed the sides of my head and pulled my face to hers, crushing her lips against mine.

The others were grinning at us. I gave them the finger before wrapping my arms around Bella's waist and pulling her closer to me, tilting my head slightly to deepen the kiss. She moved one of her hands to the back of my head. She tasted like burgers and beer and something else, something uniquely…Bella. I moaned softly in the back of my throat and she sighed against my mouth.

Suddenly she pulled back, her face flushed pink and her eyes dark. She rested her forehead against mine and brought her hand back to my face.

"Happy?" she asked Emmett, her breathing ragged.

No one answered so she pulled herself off of my lap and headed inside, slamming the door behind her. I stared at the others in shock.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked hoarsely.

"That was the hottest fucking kiss I've ever witnessed. I felt a little pervy sitting here," admitted Alice. "Are you sure you two are just friends?"

I dropped my head into my hands and groaned softly. I felt three hands brush my shoulders as the others passed me as they went inside. I waited until I was sure I had control of myself and then followed.

I stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a couple bottles of water and headed upstairs. I could hear Jasper and Alice talking and laughing softly in their room as I passed by and saw the light was off in Bella's. I frowned at that. We always slept in her room. Maybe she was embarrassed about the kiss.

I stuck my head in the door and saw the room was empty but that her clothes were on the floor and the drawers weren't shut all the way. I looked over my shoulder but the door to the bathroom was open and the lights were off.

I continued up to my room and smiled when I saw Bella sitting on the floor in front of my bookshelves, holding a small wooden elephant in her hand. Her hair was in a messy braid and she was wearing pink shorts and a top.

"So we're sleeping up here?" I asked as I handed her a bottle of water.

She nodded. "I just didn't feel like sleeping downstairs tonight."

I shrugged. That worked for me. I headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I paused, suddenly realizing she'd hear me pee, but decided I had to pee too much to care. I came out when I was finished with the whole routine and smiled when I saw her laying on the floor her eyes closed.

"I got dizzy," she muttered, not opening her eyes.

I laughed. "Need help getting up?"

She rolled her head from side to side and pushed herself up and turned to face me, a goofy little smile on her face. "I'm good."

"Fuck, I'm tired," I yawned as I crossed to my bed. She nodded and held up an empty water bottle.

"Me too, but now I have to pee again."

I grinned as I crawled into the bed. "Good, get all the alcohol out of your system. I'll warm up the bed." I waggled my eyebrows at her suggestively and she rolled her eyes as she made her way into the bathroom.

I reached over and flicked off the overhead light and yawned again. We'd stayed up way too fucking late. The red numbers on my clock read 2 am. Shit. I had to be up in 4 hours.

The door to the bathroom swung open and the light clicked off. I could hear Bella shuffling across the room and then there was a soft banging sound and what would have been swearing from anyone else. Suddenly, she was falling on me, her elbow landing barely north of a region I happen to prize quite highly.

"Fuck, Bella." I grabbed her shoulders to keep her from moving.

"Sorry, but you're the dumbass who turned all the lights off. You know I trip over stuff sober in broad daylight."

"You wear heels a lot and you're typically dazzled by my awesomeness. Plus, I figured you'd be more graceful barefoot."

She snickered in the darkness. "Don't lie, you wanted me to trip and fall and be at your mercy. That kiss totally turned you on."

Holy shit, was Bella flirting back like crazy? This was new and interesting. I was stopped from further thoughts on the matter when her hand definitely made contact with my prized region and I hissed slightly, not necessarily from pain.

I wrapped my arms around her torso and dragged her up level with me on the bed. "Shut up and lay down before you render me sterile."

She giggled softly as I tossed her onto her side. She moved to get under the covers and lay quietly for a moment before the infernal hip wiggling began as she slowly made her way back towards me.

"God, would you fucking stop?" I grumbled.

"Sorry," I heard her mumble. "I think I had one or two too many tonight. I feel kinda weird."

"Not vomiting in the middle of the night weird, right?"

"No, just…flushed." There was a long pause as I contemplated that. She started shifting again.

"Christ," I mumbled. I reached for her and pulled her tightly against my chest. Normally we slept face to face, but spooning could work, too. I draped my arm lightly over her side, careful not to touch anything I shouldn't and she sighed softly, molding into my chest. I rested my chin lightly on the top of her head and closed my eyes, hurtling quickly towards the edge of sleep.

"Happy?" I mumbled.

Another little wriggle. "Yes, thanks. You're warm."

I chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head.

"You know I love you, right?" I asked affectionately.

"Yeah, I love you too, you big lug."

Fuck me, that was _not_ just a kiss.

***

Tali: So, this was stolen from another story I'm writing based on my experiences as a hotel manager in Austin, TX and is based on an actual game of truth or dare. There was much alcohol consumed, so I'm not terribly sure what dares and truths took place, but I remember a guy who was just a friend being dared to kiss me. Then there was a weird incident with a Longhorns game jersey and me having to decide if I wanted to sleep with my friend/employee. Yeah....alcohol at 2 am on a week night in January isn't necessarily a good thing....lol

Also, the postings will have to slow a bit to at most once a day. Yesterday was a fluke. If I post twice a day, I'll be out of chapters by next Friday and I'm not sure when I'll get the rest of the story written. At once a day, I'll be at the end of what's written on the 28th. I will be out of town a couple weekends to see my mom, but I'm hoping to just take the laptop with me and post from there. If not, I'll double post when I can.

Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

Bella's POV

I winced as I woke up the next morning. My head was throbbing. I froze, the night before flooding back to me. I noticed Edward waking up at the same time.

"Morning," he yawned.

"Hi," I said, suddenly feeling awkward. I'd had the most intense dream about the two of us. So intense, I did a mental assessment, relieved when I realized I still had my panties on. I rolled away from him embarrassed and straightened my clothes. Somehow my shirt had ridden up some in the night and we'd been sleeping belly to belly, skin to skin. Probably helped explain the dream.

"You ok?"

I forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah. I have a headache, but I'll be fine. I've got to get to school." I hurried downstairs, hardly stopping to check the hallway before ducking into my room. I shut the door and rested my forehead against it. What the HELL had I been thinking, kissing him like that last night? It definitely didn't help this stupid weird love…quadrangle or whatever the hell we were in. I sighed and pushed away from the door, pulling out some clean clothes and messing up the bed some so anyone walking by would think I'd slept there. I headed down the hall to shower.

I kept going over everything in my head. First the cuddling, then the kiss, then the dream. The damn kiss kept playing over in my head like it was on a loop. The taste of him, the feel of him against me in that intimate way. It was different from when we slept in a way I wasn't quite sure I could put my finger on.

And then the dream. I blushed in the privacy of the shower remembering that dream. I'd never experienced anything like that about anyone before and frankly…I kind of wanted more.

I sighed and stepped out of the shower, wrapping my towels around my body and hair before I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. I hurried down the hall when I was done and dressed quickly. I was running late and I had to endure math with Mike today. I groaned softly to myself and headed downstairs to grab some toast or something.

Alice was sitting at the table with Jasper. They both looked up at me with huge grins on their faces. I held up a hand.

"We're not discussing it so don't even think about it."

Alice frowned. "Oh, we will discuss it missy, just maybe not now."

I shot her a glare. "_I_ will not be discussing anything with anyone so piss off."

She looked at me surprised. I grabbed a travel mug out of the cupboard and filled it with coffee before stomping out of the house.

I wasn't really sure why the foul mood, but it might have something to do with all the sexual frustration that was building up in me and between Edward and I. As I sat at a red light, I screamed and shook myself a little, startling drivers around me. I didn't really care, but it helped me feel some better. As least better enough to face the day…and Mike.

"Hey Bella," he grinned at me as I slid into my seat that afternoon. "How was your evening?"

"Fine," I said shortly.

"I missed you," he pushed his lower lip out, attempting to be adorable.

I sighed. Mike was a sweet guy, it wasn't his fault I was frustrated with Edward. "Sorry. We just needed some roommate time, you know?"

He shrugged. "Can I come for movie night tomorrow?"

"Of course." I smiled at him. "You're welcome pretty much anytime at the house."

He grinned and leaned over, kissing me lightly on the cheek. "Do I get to pick a movie anytime soon?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Are you interested in picking a movie?"

"Yeah," he said enthusiastically. "I've got some favorite I'll bet none of you have seen or heard of."

I raised my eyebrows at that. We'd actually seen a lot of movies between the five of us so ones we hadn't seen or heard of were probably pretty obscure movies. "Well, I'll let the guys know. Maybe you can have pick next week?"

He grinned widely. "Awesome. I'll start looking through my collection."

Professor White came in then and started the lecture. Mike kept looking over at me during the class and it was really distracting. I shot him a look and he grinned and behaved himself for the rest of the class.

Afterwards, the rush was on like usual to get everything packed up and go get the kids on time. Somehow, Mike was always done before me and was waiting for me. He grinned as I stood up and slung my bag over my shoulder.

"So are you free tonight?"

I nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Want to come over to my place for dinner?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you cooking?"

He laughed. "I can only cook mac and cheese, but sure, I'll cook for you."

I smiled. A guy willing to cook for me, even something like mac and cheese, was endearing. "I'd love to come for dinner. Text me when and where, I've got to get going."

He grinned and stepped forward, reaching for me and cradling my neck in one hand as he bent down and kissed me. Mike the tongue had struck again. I smiled and climbed in the car.

I got the kids and we headed out, dropping Todd at soccer while Hillary and I headed to the house. Shortly after we arrived, I got a text from Mike with the address and request that I just come over after work.

I looked out the window of the attic and saw that Edward was home alone. I chewed on my lower lip, debating something in my head. I looked over at Hillary.

"Hey Hil, I need to talk to my friend Edward. Can you come with me and work on some of your homework at my house?"

"I'm old enough to stay here on my own," she offered.

I sighed. "I know, sweetie, but your mom pays me to take care of you and I really need to talk to him. I may not get a chance to do it without all my other roommates around."

She shrugged. "Ok. I've just got to read my book for my book report anyway." she grabbed her copy of _Catherine, Called Birdy_ and followed me across the yards. I set her up in the living room with a bottle of water and headed upstairs to talk to Edward.

He was sitting on his bed, books spread out around him as he wrote something in a notebook. His hair was standing up on end, evidence that he'd been frustrated recently.

"Edward," I said softly, almost hoping he wouldn't hear me.

He looked up and smiled. "Hey Bella. I thought you had the kids today."

"I do. Hillary is downstairs. I just…I wanted to talk to you about a couple things." I chewed on my lower lip again uncertainly.

He sat back and studied me for a minute. "Ok," he said finally, motioning to a clear spot on the bed.

I settled myself uneasily and picked at the blanket while I collected my thoughts.

"What's going on with us?" I finally blurted out.

He blinked at me with surprise. "Us?"

"Yes. You, Edward and me, Bella."

"We're friends."

"Friends who sleep together and had a pretty amazing kiss last night?"

He grinned. "Yeah."

Well, at least he wasn't debating the amazingness of the kiss. "Come on, just friends?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm with Rosalie and you're with Mike."

"What if I wasn't with Mike? I mean, he and I are just dating anyway, it's not like it's an actual relationship."

He was quiet. "But you_ are_ with Mike, Bella. I wouldn't ask you to dump him for a maybe."

I sat there for a moment. "What if I wanted you to dump Rosalie for a definite?" My heart was pounding in my chest and I was sure he could hear it across the room.

He sighed and sat back. "Nothing's definite, Bella. Things change, emotions wax and wane…"

"So you're basically saying I'm a stupid little teenager being ruled by hormones."

His eyes widened. "No, Bella, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that maybe we're both being blinded by hormones. Maybe all we have is friendship."

I stood up then and started for the stairs. I paused on the top step. "I'm a hell of a lot more mature than you seem to give me credit for, Edward. Last night we shared an awesome kiss and no matter what you're saying now, it was not a 'friendly' kiss. There's more there and I just wish you'd see it." I didn't look at him as I spoke and when I was finished, I headed downstairs.

Hillary looked up as I came into the living room. "Did you talk to him?"

I nodded. "Yep. Let's go."

Edward's POV

I stared at Bella's retreating form with shock. She'd just come out and fucking said it, said there was more there and I, like a dumbass, just sat here. I needed to say something to that, but she was gone before I could form an adequate response. I sighed and grabbed a textbook, smacking myself in the forehead with it. I grabbed my cell phone and sent her a text.

**We'll talk more when you're off work.**

I sat, holding the phone in my hand waiting for the response. It came a few minutes later.

**Having dinner with Mike tonight. I want to sleep solo tonight, too.**

I stared at it. She wanted to sleep alone? I'd fucked up that badly. I frowned again. She'd asked me to dump Rosalie for a definite, even indirectly. I wasn't sure when that definite would come to pass, but I was definitely willing to do that.

**Can I see you tonight?** I texted Rosalie. Her response took longer. It was about fifteen minutes later when she finally responded

**Sure. Come over at 7.**

I nodded and sent my agreement to her. I lifted myself up off the bed and headed to the shower. I needed to clear my head and a shower seemed like a good way to do that.

Bella's POV

Mike gestured to the couch and I sat down. It was surprisingly comfortable. The whole apartment was, really. It was tiny, just Mike and his dog Elmer who was currently banished to the balcony. Mike dropped next to me and grinned.

"So how was it?"

I grinned back at him. "Best mac and cheese anyone's made me in a while."

He chuckled and took a sip of his beer. "Probably the first time anyone's made it for you in a while."

I shrugged and sipped mine. "So what's next? Movie?"

He laughed. "You're so used to watching movies. I thought we might try something…different."

Before I had a chance to really process that, both our beers were on the coffee table and he was pushing me back against the arm of the couch, kissing me. His tongue and hands were everywhere and I struggled to keep up. It seemed like he suddenly had extra fingers. His hands grabbed my breasts and squeezed hard, twisting like he was changing a light bulb. I pushed against him lightly.

"Mike," I sighed. "Come on."

He groaned softly, but sat back. "Damn, Bella, you're driving me crazy."

I closed my eyes and didn't move. I knew how he felt. Edward had been doing this to me for ages hadn't he? And then he'd gone off to Rosalie and had sex with her. Why shouldn't I have sex with Mike?

_Because you don't love him_ a voice in my head told me.

_Who says sex and love have to be intertwined?_ I argued back.

"Bella?"

I opened my eyes and saw such concern in his face. I smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, I just…can't. Not right now." _Not with you_, I added mentally.

"But later?" he asked, looking hopeful.

I nodded and tried to brighten the smile. Maybe I'd get there with him. I wasn't getting anywhere with Edward. "Later."

He grinned and stretched out on the couch beside me. I turned on my side so I was facing him, my arm lightly over his side and his over mine. He twisted his fingers in my hair and if I closed my eyes and ignored my nose, I could almost imagine it was Edward. But that wasn't fair to Mike. As long as I was with Mike, I needed to be with Mike. I opened my eyes and smiled at him, leaning forward and kissing him lightly. Mike really wasn't _all _bad.

Edward's POV

I sat outside the house and stared up at the lit windows, going over and over the words in my head. I was going to do it. I was determined. Nothing would stop me this time. I took a deep breath and hefted myself out of the car, shivering slightly as a blast of cool air caught me by surprise. I trudged up the steps and knocked on the door. A moment later, Rosalie opened it and looked at me pleased.

"To what do I owe this pleasure," she said, a small smile on her face. She reached up to give me a kiss but I leaned back.

"We need to talk."

Her smile faded and she stepped back from me, crossing her arms over her chest. "So talk."

I sighed. "Can we go inside?"

"No, not if you're about to say what I think you're about to say."

I studied her for a beat. "We don't work anymore, Rose. You know it and I know it. It's time to just…let go."

"This is about her, isn't it." She scowled at me.

I ran my hands through my hair. "Yes and no. I won't lie to you, there is an attraction there, but she's dating a guy from her school. I think for now, I just need to be single. I haven't been single since my freshman year of high school, not really anyway. It's just…time."

She sighed. "You're right."

I blinked. I did _not_ expect that out of her mouth.

"We've just been going through the motions forever and we make each other miserable. I'm not saying I want to be your friend or anything, but you're right."

I stared at her in shock. "So…that's it then."

She nodded and shrugged. "I guess so."

We stood there awkwardly for a long moment, then I stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. "You're not that bad, Rose, you just need to loosen up."

She laughed into my shirt. "Too bad I couldn't do that before."

"You'll find a guy who loosens you up and who's great for you. It's just not me."

She nodded and looked up at me with a smirk. "And you won't be single for long. I can tell that."

I rolled my eyes and kissed her forehead. "See you around."

She nodded and stepped back inside, shutting the door behind her.

I climbed back into the car and drove home, going over everything in my head. I'd expected screaming and shouting, hell, even things being thrown at my head, everything I'd gotten used to over the past three years of fighting with her. The calm acceptance and quiet agreement had been completely out of left field and I half wondered if I'd maybe miscommunicated or she hadn't heard me or something.

I pulled up to the house and stared up at it, pondering my next move. I'd done what Bella hadn't actually asked. Would she do the same? Would we suddenly just…be a couple or should we be single for a bit? I had to admit, I didn't mind the idea of being single for a while, but I definitely wanted Bella as more than just a friend. Maybe I should just decide to be single.

I groaned and headed inside. Whatever was going to happen would happen. I decided to just go with the flow and let it be.

Bella's POV

I came home much later than I'd intended to. It was close to midnight and all the lights were off. I headed to my room, pausing and staring at the door to Edward's room for a long beat. I was tempted to just go ahead on upstairs and crawl into bed with him, but I was also stubborn as hell and didn't want to be the first one to give. I scowled at his door and pushed into my room. I changed quickly and crawled into my bed, alone for the first night in ages.

***

Tali: Ok, I'm getting on my high horse here for a second. I'm from Texas, so it's allowed. I know you're all frustrated with the whole love triangle thing going on. I've been in somewhat similar relationships so I know how these characters feel, also since I'm writing them. I've been the person in a failing relationship scared to go for it with another person because I wasn't sure if it was hormones or an actual attraction. I've been in a stable relationship that was rocky for a little while and felt an intense attraction complete with flirting and some inappropriateness with another person in a sturdy relationship going through a few issues at the time. It's scary as hell to leave the comfortable relationship behind, even if it isn't working, for something that may not work at all. It's scary to go from being with someone for a long time to being alone. Edward is dealing with all of this. He's attracted to Bella, but he's not sure if it's more or if it's just hormones and the excitement of a new girl around. He was comfortable with Rosalie even though the relationship sucked (DEFINITELY been there...would have married the lug) and he was scared of getting out of it and being alone or worse, making his feelings for Bella known and getting shot down (I was shot down indirectly and that hurt like a bitch). Remember, it is a Bella and Edward story, so they'll end up together. I believe in happy endings since they aren't necessarily going to happen in real life. Just go with me for a bit.

As always, thanks for reading, stepping off my horse now and putting him back in the barn. My reviewers make me super happy and this little rant was not directed at anyone in particular, just getting some of the background out there. I write what I know and it's a lot of weird relationship type stuff (seriously, I've had so many pseudo relationships it's frickin' ridiculous.) So, I tend to put odd quirks into relationships. Well, maybe not terribly odd, but they're not always the completely normal relationships.

Ok...for reals now. I'm done. :-)


	12. Chapter 12

Bella's POV

"So is lover boy coming for movie night tonight?" asked Emmett as I walked through the back door.

I looked at him with surprise. "Um, the plan is for Mike to come over, but he's not my lover boy. We're just dating."

He rolled his eyes. "So I have to order extra."

"He can just eat Rosalie's share, she doesn't eat anything."

He laughed. "No joke. That girl is a stick."

I dropped my bag on the floor and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. "So what's the movie for tonight?"

He shrugged. "Edward has pick this week. Probably an action movie then."

"Or horror," I grinned. "Anyway, Mike should be here soon. I told him 6:30 and that the movie started at 7."

"Cool deal. Any food allergies I should know of?"

I shrugged. "We've been dating for about a month, how should I know?"

He rolled his eyes and pawed through the coupon drawer while I headed upstairs. Alice was in the living room studying. She raised a hand in greeting as I passed through.

I headed upstairs tiredly. I hadn't slept well the night before, most likely because Edward wasn't there, and I was exhausted after dealing with the kids and trying to figure out everything in my head. I was still put out with Edward but I didn't really have anything to say to him right now. I dropped my bag in my room, determined not to look at it until Sunday, kicked off my shoes and headed back downstairs. The doorbell rang as I hit the last step. Alice looked up and rolled her eyes.

"Christ, why doesn't he just come in?"

I shrugged. "Courtesy?"

I opened the door and smiled up at Mike. "Hey you, come on in." I stepped aside to let him by. He pulled me into a bear hug and gave me a sloppy kiss. Not my favorite part of our relationship.

We all trooped down to the basement to play video games until the food and others arrived. Mike kept playing with my hair, which was starting to get on my nerves. Really, the kid annoyed the hell out of me, but he was so sweet, telling him to get lost would be like kicking a puppy.

Edward showed up at the same time as the pizza, so he brought it down with him. The movie turned out to be _Deathrace 2000_. We talked and laughed through the whole thing, having seen it so many times. Edward must have forgotten it was his week since he picked one of his favorite movies.

"Where's Rosalie?" asked Emmett curiously as the opening credits started.

Edward shrugged. "I'm not sure. I broke up with her yesterday."

My head snapped up and I stared at him in surprise.

"How'd she take it?" asked Emmett curiously as he stuffed half a piece of pizza in his mouth.

Edward stared at him, a little disgusted. "Better than I thought she would. A lot better, actually. She agreed with me that we weren't working and that we'd be better off apart. We're not like, friends or anything, but it was an amicable split."

Jasper and Alice exchanged glances. "And so what are you going to do now?" demanded Alice with a not so subtle look at me.

I rolled my eyes but I had to admit, I was pretty curious myself.

"I think I'm just going to be single for now," admitted Edward. "I've been with someone for the last 7 years, I think it'll be interesting to be single and just have female friends."

Alice sat back, clearly displeased with that idea. Jasper and Emmett seemed a little nonplussed, staring at him like he was suddenly spouting out German.

"I'm all for having another single guy around, but are you sure?" Emmett demanded.

I was amazed at how discreet they were all being. It wasn't like they'd ever been so before. It was probably because Mike was sitting beside me looking interested in the whole thing. "How about we just let Edward live his life and watch the movie?" I demanded, a little annoyed.

Edward shot me a grateful look, which I ignored, and Alice huffed while Emmett shrugged and pushed play.

Mike and I were on the loveseat while Alice and Jasper crammed into the armchair and left Emmett to share the couch with Edward. Mike put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against him, hoping for that same level of comfort that I had with Edward. It wasn't there. Mike was bony and a little too eager to please. He didn't get a lot of our jokes and his jokes were just stupid.

I froze when I felt Mike's hand slide off my shoulder and onto my breast. I looked up at him in shock and he grinned down at me. I carefully picked up his hand by the wrist and put it back on my shoulder.

"Can't blame a guy for trying," he said softly as he shrugged.

I sighed and sat up. Enough was enough. This was going nowhere and I needed to end it fast. I caught Edward's eye. He raised an eyebrow at me. I rolled my eyes.

Once the movie was over I stretched and yawned. "Well, it's getting late. Probably time for you to go, Mike." I clapped my hand down on his knee and gave him my brightest fake smile. He looked surprised.

"Um, ok," he said hesitantly. "I could stay here if you're really that tired."

I frowned. That made no sense. "Nah, I prefer sleeping alone." I was such a liar. I'd gotten to the point where I didn't sleep very well without Edward. I stood up and looked at Mike. "I'll walk you out."

We headed up the steps while the others put the next movie in. Looked like tonight was a marathon night. We stepped out onto the screened in porch and I shivered slightly in the cool fall air.

"I think we need to talk," I said bluntly as Mike started to lean down.

He straightened up and sighed. "You're breaking up with me aren't you."

I frowned. "I wasn't aware we were a couple."

"Of course," he said indignantly. "I don't just randomly go out with people."

"Well, I'm sorry. I guess I am breaking up with you."

"Why? What did I do? Was it the hand thing? I'll stop."

"No, Mike," I sighed. "It's just not going to work. I need to focus on school and work and…"

"You only like me as a friend," he interrupted. "Just say that. Don't lie to me."

I was quiet. "Ok, fine. I don't like you as anything more than a friend. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but I can't lie to you and lead you on."

He nodded and looked away. Shit, I made him cry. I patted his arm awkwardly.

"You broke my heart."

I flinched. Seriously? "I'm sorry," I said awkwardly. "That wasn't my intention."

He sniffed and wiped his eye, clearly frustrated with himself for crying in front of me.

"So…see you in class next week?" I asked hesitantly.

He nodded and strode off the porch and to his truck, the screen door slamming behind him. I watched as he backed out and roared off. I sighed and headed back inside.

Edward's POV

I looked up as Bella came back down the steps. She looked tired and a little upset as she dropped into the armchair that Alice and Jasper had vacated for the empty loveseat.

Alice paused the movie and raised her eyebrows. "So is Buster Brown gone?"

Bella rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. He started crying."

Emmett winced. "Dude, so unmanly."

She sighed. "Apparently he thought we were a couple and I didn't and I basically broke his heart."

Jasper snickered. "See, that's why you don't date freshmen guys. You need to find an older man. Emmett's available."

She laughed. "Yeah, can't you just see me and Emmett together? He'd get so fat from eating all my cooking and I'd be so bored while he played video games all day long."

"Hey," Emmett protested. "I do other things. I jog in the mornings. I had to, once you started cooking."

She grinned. "My point exactly."

"Let's just watch the movie," Alice rolled her eyes and gave me a pointed look. I made a face at her as Emmett hit play.

At the end, Emmett stood up and swapped places with Bella while we watched a third movie, _Mad Max_. She was fast asleep before it was over.

"So, now that Buster's out of the way are you going to make a move?" asked Jasper softly.

I rolled my eyes. "Shut the fuck up about that. Shit, you three are like a one note song. Just let it go already."

"No, not until you do something," said Alice with a yawn. "It's obvious to everyone that you two are crazy about each other. The only thing standing in your way is your own damn selves."

"Yeah, you finally dropped the Queen Bitch. Pick up Bella, she's available."

I gave Jasper the finger. "I'm going to bed and dropping Bella off on the way. See you fuckers tomorrow."

I carefully scooped Bella up and carried her upstairs. I put her in her bed and headed upstairs to my own room to change. I came back downstairs and snuck into Bella's room.

She was still sleeping so I started to climb into bed. I paused. She was still wearing her jeans and long-sleeved shirt. I could leave the shirt, but the jeans couldn't be that comfortable. I carefully unbuttoned them and started to pull them off.

I made sure not to pull her panties off with it, but I couldn't stop myself from staring at them. They were pink and lacy and low on her hips. My fingers twitched with the urge to take them off. I quickly slid the jeans off her legs and tucked her under the blankets before I did anything I'd regret.

I hesitated before finally crawling in the bed next to her. She automatically curled against my chest, twisting her legs with mine and resting her forehead in the nook of my shoulder and neck. I twisted my fingers in her hair and kissed the top of her head.

There was something completely erotic about nothing between our groins but thin cloth on both bodies. I could feel the heat from her body pressed up against my hip. My mind was racing now.

The others were right: the only thing in our way was ourselves. I knew that Bella felt something more for me, but what did I feel? I valued our friendship too much to fuck it up with sex and risk losing it. I must want something more or that douche Mike wouldn't have bugged me so much, other than the fact that he _was_ a douche. The idea of Bella dating someone shouldn't bother me if I was really a friend and nothing more…right?

***

Tali: Yay! No more Mike! Only question is, when will Edward make his move? Hm….stay tuned. Same Bat time, same Bat channel…


	13. Chapter 13

October

Bella's POV

I toyed with the end of my ponytail as I read my book. With only an hour between classes, there didn't seem to be a point in driving home only to turn around in 10 minute and try to find another parking space, so I spent my free time in the library, reading or studying, depending on my mood. Several other students had similar ideas, though not so much involving books. I'd seen several people sleeping on the couches scattered around the stacks. I'd even seen one couple going at it in one of the small study rooms along the edges of the stacks.

"Hey, Bella, right?"

I looked up hesitantly. Last time a strange guy approached me it didn't end well. "Yeah?"

This one looked a little more sure of himself, not nearly so desperate. He grinned at me. "I'm James. We have Spanish together."

"Hi."

"Hey. So…are you seeing anyone?"

I groaned inwardly. "Depends on what you're wanting to do."

He chuckled softly. "I was thinking a date. _Just_ a date."

I shifted. "I don't know. Last time I went on a date with a guy I didn't know, it didn't work out too well. I'm not looking for anything long term, like a relationship."

"Oh, me either." He sounded eager. "I'm taking astronomy and there's a meteor shower this Saturday. I thought it might be nice to go check it out."

"Oh." That didn't sound too bad. "What all does that entail?"

He grinned. "I'd pick you up late, like 11, then we'd drive outside of town and watch the meteor shower with some binoculars and a telescope that I've got. I'll get you home probably around 2."

"Sounds reasonable enough." I studied him for a minute. "You're not like some creepy serial killer or anything?"

He laughed loudly, earning dirty looks from students around us. "No, I'm completely sane."

I grinned. "All right, but it's just a date. Not a relationship."

"Got it." He grinned back at me.

I gave him my address and phone number before heading to my next class.

"No fucking way, you've already got another boyfriend?" Alice was shocked as I stirred the stew.

I rolled my eyes. "He's not my boyfriend, we're just going on a date."

"Whatever. My same rule for the first date stands: no putting out."

I made a face at her and motioned for her to set the table.

"So what's he like?" she asked, jumping down off the counter.

"I'm not really sure," I admitted. "He's older than I am, probably Emmett's age. We have Spanish together tomorrow, so I'll try to get some more info out of him."

She shook her head. "You're brave, my friend, going out on a date with a guy you don't really know."

I shrugged. "I live life on the edge, what can I say."

She laughed and set the table.

"Lucy, I'm home," hollered Emmett as he came through the sliding door. I shivered as the cold fall air hit me. He grinned. "Cold, Tex?"

"Yes," I retorted. "It only gets this cold in like, February in Texas."

He laughed and came over to peek in my soup pot. "What's for dinner?"

"Beef stew with carrots and potatoes."

"Sounds bitchin'. I'll be up in a minute, let me go drop my shit."

He disappeared into the basement as Edward came into the kitchen. Jasper was working late tonight so it was just the four of us.

I ladled the stew into bowls and served them, settling into my seat.

"Bella's got a date," announced Alice. "With an older man. Hopefully this one won't turn out to be a douche."

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, you're such a quiet and soft spoken girl. I do wish you'd come out of your shell and tell us how you really feel."

She laughed. "Yeah yeah."

"Another guy, huh?" Emmett grinned. "What's this one like?"

I sighed. "I don't really know. We're going out on Saturday so I'll let you know on Sunday."

"What are you doing?" asked Edward stiffly.

I looked at him, fighting back the annoyance. He'd calmed down since I'd broken things off with Mike, but apparently he was back to being an asshole. "He's into astronomy and there's a meteor shower on Saturday so he's taking me out to look at it."

"That's actually kind of cool," admitted Emmett.

Edward scowled down at his stew.

Alice saw his annoyance and rolled her eyes. "Well, you'll have to dress warmly if you're going to be outside the whole time. And you'll need real shoes. I've got some cute boots you can borrow."

I grinned. I knew she'd come through.

"Are you sure a meteor shower isn't code for something else?" demanded Edward suddenly. "Maybe he's some psycho. Don't eat anything he offers you."

I frowned at him. "What are you, my mother? I'm not stupid, Edward, I can take care of myself."

Emmett sighed. "He's got a point, Bella. You admitted you don't really know him. What if he's a creep and attacks you or something?"

"I'll keep my cell phone on me at all times and I'll check in, ok?" the protective older brother shtick was getting old.

"Yeah, you should do that." Emmett served himself another bowl of stew, seemingly pleased with my plan.

I finished up and put my dishes in the sink. Alice and I headed upstairs because she wanted to go through my closet. She pushed me down on the bed while she poked through my clothes.

"Edward's pissed," she said nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes. "He needs to get over it. It's not like he's doing anything, you know?"

She nodded and held up my favorite snuggly red sweater. "Is this warm?"

I nodded. "Especially when I wear layers."

She tossed it on a small pile of sweaters and started going through my jeans. Before long she'd pulled out three different outfits and had me model them for her. She settled on the red sweater and some dark blue jeans with her black ankle boots.

"You know," she said as I was hanging the things back in the closet, "Edward has a point. He could be some kind of rapist or something. You should be careful."

I sighed. "I'll text you my location, ok? Will that make everyone more comfortable?"

She nodded. "Actually, yeah. And he has to come in and meet us, no running out to the car or any shit like that."

I laughed. "Ok Mom."

She grinned. "Hey, I'm just looking out for you. You're a kid."

I proved my maturity by sticking my tongue out at her.

She left then and I settled down at my desk to do some studying. I lost track of time and jumped when Edward appeared in my doorway.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he looked sheepish.

I shrugged and sat back, stretching over the back of my chair. "Are you in a better mood now?"

"Somewhat. I'm just not crazy about you going out in the middle of fucking nowhere with some guy I don't know."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll text you my coordinates if it'll make you feel better. I'm already texting them to Alice."

He sighed. "That would make me feel better, though I would feel best if you didn't go."

I didn't dignify that with a response, just grabbed my flannel pants and tank top and headed to the bathroom to change and get ready for bed.

The next day I looked for James in Spanish. He was in the back of the room, laughing and talking most of the class with the other guys at his table. They were out the door before I got a chance to get over to talk to him, so I headed on home.

The kids were bouncing off the walls, excited for the long weekend. Apparently we got Columbus Day off. I was looking forward to the extra money from the extra hours with them and was trying to think up fun activities. I'd pretty much decided that we'd go to the park and then do some kind of cooking project. They'd been begging me to teach them something easy. I figured they were old enough to handle mac and cheese.

We had a quiet evening with Emmett's pick of the Terminator trilogy. I didn't pay much attention. I was annoyed with Edward still. I'd waited for him to say or do something for weeks and nothing. Honestly, I wanted to punch him.

I spent all day Saturday working on homework, knowing I'd be wiped from being out late with James. I took a short nap that afternoon before getting up to make dinner.

It was easy to avoid Edward, since he and Jasper were working. Poor Emmett had to clean up by himself while Alice dragged me upstairs to get ready. Promptly at 11, the doorbell rang and Emmett let James in.

Alice grinned at me. "Are you ready?"

I rolled my eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be."

I slid my cell phone into my pocket along with my slim wallet with a credit card and my id. I didn't want to deal with a purse tonight. With my luck, I'd lose it out in a cornfield or something.

"Hey, you look great," James said enthusiastically.

I smiled. "Thanks. You look nice, too."

He practically beamed. Edward had gotten home while I was dressing and he stood in the doorway to the kitchen eating in silence. Our eyes locked as James helped me into my coat and I raised my eyebrows at him. He shifted and held up his cell phone and waved it at me. I rolled my eyes and patted my front pocket. He nodded slightly and headed back into the kitchen.

"Shall we go?" asked James as I wrapped my scarf around my neck.

"Yes," I smiled. I waved as the others as we headed to the waiting car. It was a pickup truck. Why did I seem to attract guys with trucks? He helped me into it and ran around the front and climbed in himself.

He grinned at me as we headed out. "So do you go stargazing much?"

I shook my head. "This is my first time. What should I expect?"

He laughed. "A lot of waiting for a quick moment that's pretty exciting but a bit of a letdown."

I chuckled. "Good to know."

We chatted a bit as I discreetly sent texts with the streets we were driving on to both Alice and Edward. When we turned off on a dirt road, I glanced over to get the mileage and sent that as well when he finally pulled to a stop off the road. He killed the engine and we climbed out. I shivered as an icy blast hit me. I stumbled slightly on the uneven ground and James caught me with a laugh.

"Careful, the ground isn't level out here."

I grinned. "I noticed."

He led me around to the back of the truck and put the tailgate down and helped me up into the bed. I was surprised to see an air mattress wedged in and tied down so it wouldn't blow off during transport. I looked at him with surprise.

"What's that?"

"It's easier to see the meteors if you're lying down and the ground and the bed of the truck are pretty hard, so I've got the mattress and some blankets."

"Oh." I knelt down awkwardly and climbed across it. He handed me a blanket and some binoculars and I looked up at the stars. "Everything's so clear," I commented. "Reminds me of home."

"Where's home?" he asked, settling on the mattress next to me.

"Texas. No ranch, no horses, no cowboy hat."

He chuckled. "You must get asked that a lot."

I smiled. We chatted easily while we watched the stars and the time passed quickly. I saw a few shooting stars, but not that many. Probably only about six or so. When I got cold, he produced a thermos of hot chocolate. I hesitated, remembering Edward's warning, but when James took a sip I decided it was probably safe and took a cup myself.

I yawned. "What time is it?" My throat was starting to feel scratchy from the cold night air.

James lifted his wrist and checked his watch. "Almost 2."

My eyes widened. "Oh wow. We should probably head back then." I started to sit up but his arm blocked me.

"Not yet, the date's just getting started." He grinned at me as he moved closer. I saw instantly that he was going to kiss me and I turned my head at the last moment so he got my hair.

He growled in frustration. "What the hell?" he demanded. "You said you didn't want a relationship, just a date."

"A date does _not_ mean sex."

He frowned at me. "Well, I'm not leaving until I get laid and you're ten miles out of town. Are you really going to walk back? You don't know the way."

I felt panic rising in my throat. "Get off of me," I growled, pushing against him.

He shifted and his weight was on me, pinning me to the mattress. He grabbed my face awkwardly with one hand and kissed me, forcing his tongue into my mouth. I bit down angrily.

He screamed with anger when blood filled both our mouths, pulling back and slapping me hard. I was stunned. I'd never been hit like that before by anyone.

"You bitch," he spat. "You'll pay for that." He leaned down again and started pulling at my coat, pressing his now closed lips against my mouth.

I struggled under him, trying to push him up. His weight was too much for me. I swallowed the panic down and did the only thing I could think of: I kneed him hard in the groin.

He groaned and rolled off me, momentarily stunned. I scrambled away from him, falling off the back of the truck. I ran to the cab and grabbed the keys out of the ignition and threw them as hard as I could into the cornfield. I turned and started running up the road the way we'd come.

I could hear his footsteps behind me as he started chasing me down the road. "You'll fucking regret that," he shouted after me. I picked up my pace but the boots were slowing me down and he easily caught up to me. He tackled me, rolling me onto my back and sitting down hard on my stomach. He hit me again. I put my fists together and hit him as hard as I could in the stomach. He winced but didn't budge. I tried again, aiming lower. That did it. The area was still tender from the previous hit so he rolled off easily. I doubted he'd be able to rape anyone tonight, but he was angry enough to beat me up. I scrambled to my feet and started running as hard as I could down the road.

I didn't stop until I felt like my lungs were going to burst, then I headed off the road into the cornfield and collapsed on the ground, panting. I listened for the sounds of him coming, but there was nothing but my labored breathing. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the night sky, digging my phone out of my pocket. I punched in a number and hit send.

"Hello?"

I took a deep shuddering breath, willing myself not to cry. "Can you come get me?"

Edward's POV

I scowled at the retreating truck. Something about that guy rubbed me the wrong way.

"I don't like him," muttered Emmett. "Something about him is shitty."

I nodded my agreement.

"What?" asked Alice curiously. "He seemed nice enough. He helped her with her coat."

"Any asshole can help you with your coat. There's something off about him."

She shrugged. "Well, she'll keep us updated. She's not stupid."

I grunted and washed my dish before heading upstairs to study. It was slow going since I was checking my phone every five minutes for Bella's texts. She was true to her word and I got texts regularly with street names. The last one came about 11:30 with a mileage number and a county road number.

I tried to focus but I couldn't. I had to resist the urge to get in the car and drive out to wherever the fuck they were.

About 1:30, Alice stuck her head in the door at the foot of the stairs. "Are you decent?" she hollered up.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah."

She came up and leaned on the banister. "I'm going to bed now. You waiting up for Bella?"

I nodded and she grinned. "Alright. Tell her I want to hear all about it tomorrow, ok?"

I rolled my eyes and waved her away. She trotted back down the stairs and a few minutes later the house was silent.

I paced the room, waiting for another text from Bella. Nothing was coming and I was getting anxious. I picked up my phone and punched in a text.

**Where are you?**

I hit send and resumed my pacing. No reply. At 2:30, my phone finally rang. I jumped, snatching it up and answering it before it rang a second time.

"Hello?"

I heard a deep shuddering breath. "Can you come get me?"

"Where are you?"

"Just follow the directions I gave you. I'm walking back along that county road."

"I'm on my way." I'd ask why the fuck she was walking when I got there. It had obviously taken them a half hour to get there from here, judging on the texts she'd sent, but I sped the entire way through town, blowing through the blinking red lights and stop signs. When I hit the highway, I punched it up. I followed the directions carefully and nearly missed the turn onto the dirt county road. I had to slow down, much to my frustration, or the dirt road would fuck up my car. I was more afraid of a flat tire than anything else. I still drove faster than was probably safe and as a result I almost missed Bella.

She was walking along the side of the road and her clothes were covered in dirt. Her hair was messy and the left side of her face was swollen. Her chin had smears of blood on it. I hit the brakes and the cloud of dirt obscured her from my view. I launched myself out of the car and ran around the front to her. She looked up startled. When she saw me, she threw herself at me, suddenly crying. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly against me. She shook against me from cold and sobs.

"What happened?" I demanded.

She looked up at me and I winced. Her eye was almost swollen shut. "He wanted more than I was willing to give him."

"I'll kill him," I muttered. I steered her to the car and buckled her in. "Where is he?"

"Probably looking for his testicles and his keys. I threw them in the cornfield."

I grinned in spite of myself. "I hope you mean his keys."

She nodded. "I kneed and punched his nuts, though, so those are probably in hiding too." My grin widened. That's my girl. I glanced over at her and my grin disappeared. I started driving in the direction she'd come from.

"Edward, please," she said tiredly. "Just take me home."

"Not until I deal with him first. I'll be quick."

She sighed but didn't protest again. It didn't take me long to find the truck. The fucker was pacing around it, yelling into a cell phone. He looked up with relief when he saw the car. He waved me down and I stopped in the middle of the road.

"What happened?" I called, not getting out of my car.

"I was on a date and the crazy bitch threw my keys in the cornfield. Can you give me a lift back into town?" he started towards the car. I opened the door and climbed out. He didn't seem to recognize me so I had the upper hand. I got close to him and punched him as hard as I could in the face. I felt a satisfying crunch when my fist hit his nose.

"What the fuck?" he screamed from the ground. I noticed then that he had a bit of a lisp.

"Don't you ever fucking call her or talk to her or even _look_ at her or I'll come back and break a hell of a lot more than just your nose," I growled down at him.

He stared up at me terrified. "Shit, who the fuck are you? Her boyfriend or something?"

"Doesn't fucking matter. Leave her alone."

He nodded frantically, his hands holding his nose. I turned and climbed back into my car. I did an awkward u-turn and headed back home.

Bella was silent the whole drive, her head resting against the window. When we pulled up in front of the house, she groaned. "I don't want to deal with them. Everyone's asleep, right?"

I nodded. "They were when I left anyway." We looked up at the house. All the lights were off, so we headed inside quietly.

I led her upstairs to my room. I sat her on the toilet in my bathroom and pulled off her coat. She sat tiredly and let me wet a washcloth and wipe at the blood on her face.

"Where are you bleeding from?" I asked.

She smiled tiredly. "He stuck his tongue in my mouth so I bit him."

I stared at her for a beat and then grinned. "Good girl."

I carefully rinsed the washcloth and pressed the cold cloth against her eye. She winced.

"I know, but it'll help some."

She nodded and suddenly started crying again. I pulled her against me awkwardly, rubbing circles on her back.

"Thank you," she finally mumbled.

"You're on my team," I whispered, lightly pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She gave me a wobbly smile and stood up. "Would you freak out if I just slept in my clothes?"

"You'll be more comfortable in pajamas."

"I'm too tired and sore to change."

I rolled my eyes and grabbed the hem of her sweater and gently lifted it up over her head. She let me undress her carefully, obediently raising her arms as I removed her sweater and long sleeved undershirt and stepping out of her jeans. She was still wearing a white silk camisole and some simple white cotton panties with a little bit of lace on them. I was almost turned on by this. The black eye and dirty hair reminded me of the situation and killed the boner that wanted to bloom.

I stripped down to my boxers and undershirt and carried her into my room, gently tucking her under the covers. I crawled in next to her and pulled her carefully against me. She was crying again.

"Fuck, what happened?" I asked, frustrated.

She sighed and told me everything. Breaking his nose wasn't enough. I wanted to castrate him. I had a feeling once Emmett and Jasper found out they'd help me.

When she was done talking I kissed the top of her head and squeezed her tighter against me. "No more dates with unapproved guys," I murmured.

She laughed shakily. "I think I'm done with strange guys forever. Maybe guys in general."

"We're not all bad," I said with a sigh.

"Yeah, but the good ones are unavailable."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that one. I kissed her again. "Go to sleep," I ordered. It was almost 5 am. She dropped off quickly and I lay there in the darkness going over it in my head.

I felt like it was my fault somehow. If I'd just said or done something more, like tied her to her bed, none of this would have happened. Or if I'd just made a move on Bella now that I was free of Rosalie.

It finally dawned on me that I didn't just want sex with her anymore. I didn't think. The over protective brother act had more driving it than just brother affection.

She sighed and shifted in her sleep, pressing her little body closer against mine. The more on her end was a lot more, or she wouldn't be able to be this near me after a psycho man tried to attack her. I didn't think.


	14. Chapter 14

What I own: a smoke detector that apparently likes me running around naked and wet because it goes off in the middle of my shower.

What I don't own: really, if I have to spell it out, you don't understand what website you're on.

Bella's POV

When I woke up, bright sunlight was streaming through the windows. I carefully rolled away from Edward and winced. My whole body hurt. I walked carefully to the bathroom, quietly pulling the door shut behind me.

I groaned when I saw my face in the mirror. My hair was matted and dirty and the whole left side of my face was swollen. I was going to have a heck of a shiner when the swelling went down.

I quietly gathered my things up and tiptoed out of the bathroom and downstairs to my room. Edward was still asleep, hugging the pillow I'd used the night before.

I grabbed clean clothes and headed to the bathroom to clean up some more. Brushing my teeth hurt as did washing my face. I turned on the hot water in the shower and stood under it for a while. I scrubbed my body. James hadn't actually touched me but I still felt dirty. I knew how incredibly lucky I was to escape with the injuries I had.

Once I felt clean, I carefully climbed out of the shower and dried off. I pulled on some clean underwear and comfy sweats before twisting my hair up and walking back to my room. I didn't really want to go downstairs but it was almost 2 and I knew Alice would be going crazy for details.

I dug out my concealer and carefully dabbed some on, hoping to make my face look a little better. I sighed and gave up after a few minutes and just headed down as I was.

I met Edward in the hallway as he came down. He studied me for a moment.

"You look like hell. Cleaner, but still like hell."

I rolled my eyes. "Gee, thanks. You sure do know how to make a girl feel better."

He grinned and pulled me into a light hug. "You ready for them?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll just tell them what happened. It'll be fine."

"Yeah, sure it will," he said dryly.

When we appeared in the living room, it was empty, to my relief. I could hear voices from the basement so I headed that way while Edward stopped off in the kitchen to make me something to eat.

"It's about damn time you woke up what the fuck happened to your face?"

"Hello to you, too," I sighed as I sat down on the couch.

Alice, Emmett and Jasper stared at me, their eyes practically bugging out of their heads.

"Screw that, what happened?" demanded Emmett.

"He attacked me," I said bluntly. "I fought him off but not before he hit me a couple times."

Jasper's hands immediately turned to fists. Emmett pulled the plastic guitar off his shoulder and stalked back to his room.

"Where does he live?" demanded Jasper. "I'm gonna kill him."

"I took care of it last night," Edward said as he came down the stairs. "I broke his nose and threatened to break more if he even so much as looks at her again." He handed me a plate of toast. "I'm not much of a cook, but I managed to make you some toast."

I smiled gratefully and took a bite.

Emmett came out of his room then, a baseball bat in hand. "Let's go. That motherfucker needs to be taught a lesson."

"Just calm down a second," said Alice with annoyance. "Bella, tell us everything."

I launched into the story, leaving out nothing. I even admitted to sleeping in Edward's bed. The usual sidelong glances were absent this morning.

Emmett sat down in the armchair, the baseball bat across his lap. "Fuck, I wanna hit him too."

Edward grinned. "You get to help if there's ever a next time, I swear."

"There won't be a next time," I said emphatically. "I'm done with this whole dating thing. It's too dangerous."

Alice settled next to me on the couch. "Not all guys are shitheads." She reached up and gently stroked my hair.

I sighed. "I know, I'm just getting the sense that outside of this room, most of the guys in this town are. I went on plenty of dates in Texas and managed to not get beaten up or molested or end up in some weird pseudo-relationship."

She grinned at me. "Damn girl, you've got a point. You sure do know how to pick 'em."

"I would make a face at you but my face hurts too much."

She pulled me into a gentle hug. "So what now?"

I shrugged. "I avoid him at all costs and call Emmett if he comes near me so he can get in on the fun."

"Good girl," Emmett grinned at me. Jasper was scowling so I shook my head and laughed softly.

"And after Emmett I'll call Jasper and then Edward and you can all kick his ass."

Jasper nodded. "I'm game for that. I almost hope he tries to apologize or something so I can break his arm."

I stood up with my now empty plate. "I'm going upstairs to study and maybe later cook dinner. I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's a horrible night I'd really like to forget about."

Looks were exchanged all around the room as I did my best to look stern. I'm sure it was pretty pathetic with half of my face not cooperating with me. No one said anything so I headed upstairs and back to my room. I pulled out my school books and started working. My door was open and the rest of the afternoon, each of the roommates poked their head in to check on me. I ignored them and kept on until 6. I finally shut my books and headed downstairs. I pulled some pork chops out of the fridge and put them in the oven with some rice and herbs. I made a spinach casserole and slid that in next to the pork chops. I washed up the dishes and set the table while the food cooked.

The smell of the food drew the others and we sat and ate. The atmosphere was strained but I was determined not to discuss James anymore.

"So," said Emmett finally. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"I'm working," I offered. "It'll be a pretty typical day for me."

"Me, too," grunted Jasper. "I need the extra hours so I've got a full shift tomorrow."

Edward nodded his agreement. Emmett looked annoyed.

"So I'm the only one here all day long?" he demanded.

"Hey, I'll be here," protested Alice. "We should do something. Maybe bowling."

"What are we, 12? Bowling?"

"I didn't suggest roller skating for fuck's sake. What else is there to do here?"

"We could go to a movie."

"We watch movies all the time. What about putt-putt?"

"I wanna go if you play putt-putt," I said excitedly. "We three can take the kids. They'll love it."

Emmett grinned. "I'll totally kick both your asses at putt-putt."

Alice rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure you're child safe, Emmett."

"I'll clean up my language. You watch, I'll make you proud."

I grinned. "It'll be fun. Plus that way, the kids won't be sitting there staring at my face."

Alice nodded. "I'm game. Let's do it. Ten ok?"

Emmett nodded.

Jasper scowled. "I wanna play putt-putt," he muttered, stabbing his pork chop.

Alice laughed. "We'll go next weekend, ok?" she ruffled his hair and he made a face at her.

I stood up and carried my empty plates to the sink. "I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go on to bed now if y'all don't mind."

"Go on, you'll need your energy to get over the schooling you're going to receive tomorrow." Emmett grinned at me as he crossed to the sink.

I laughed and headed upstairs. I brushed my teeth and braided my hair before crawling into bed. It was early but I was exhausted. I dozed for a while until Edward slid into the bed and pulled me to his chest.

"You ok?"

"I'm fine," I murmured. "Shut up and go to sleep."

He chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

Edward's POV

I thumbed through the CDs aimlessly. Nothing really appealed to me today. I guess that was good. I didn't need to keep spending money on shit I didn't need.

Things were slow this morning. Apparently everyone had other things to do than buy music. There were entirely too many employees here for the amount of nothing to do. I sighed and headed over to the front to talk to Ted, who was on the register. He looked up from his magazine as I approached.

"This place is dead," I commented, grabbing an M&M out of the bag he always had stashed by the register. "I'm not looking forward to the next four hours of this shit."

He nodded. "Me either. I wish Darren would get his head out of his ass and send someone home, namely me."

I grinned. "Got big plans?"

"Not really, just tired of standing here staring at your ugly mug."

I laughed. "You know you secretly want me. Besides you're getting paid so what do you care?"

He shrugged. "Good point but still. This is fucking boring."

"Ladies, do you need me to find you something to do?"

We turned and saw Darren frowning at us. "Actually, yeah," I admitted. "We floor people have done everything we can think of and there's still nothing to do. What if you just send me home?"

Darren looked surprised. "You've cleaned everything and done all your paperwork?" he looked skeptical.

I rolled my eyes. "Floor people don't have much paperwork and yes."

He looked around the store and frowned. It was as though he was only just now realizing that the store was pretty empty, except for a couple of bored looking teenagers flipping listlessly through the musical soundtracks.

"Yeah, alright. You two take off."

Ted straightened up excitedly, stuffing the M&M's in his pocket and rolling up his magazine and tucking it in the hiding place under the register when Darren wasn't looking. Food and reading materials were frowned upon, though I'd never found a rule explicitly saying we couldn't have them at the front.

We headed into the back and punched out, dropping our nametags in our boxes.

"You got plans?" asked Ted, lighting up a cigarette as we exited the building.

I shook my head as I pulled on my jacket. "Not really. Some of my roommates are going to play putt-putt in a little while. Plus I've got studying I could do." I took the cigarette from him and took a drag. Fuck, I missed smoking sometimes.

"Putt-putt?" Ted took the cigarette back from me as we crossed the parking lot.

I nodded. "Could be fun."

He shrugged. "Do what you gotta do, man. Have a good day."

I grinned. "See you around."

The clock on my dashboard said it was only noon so I went ahead and drove towards the putt-putt place on the off chance the others were still there. I grinned when I saw Bella's car in the parking lot, the back open and the five of them sitting Indian style eating sandwiches.

I pulled up and climbed out. "Hey, fancy meeting you here," I teased, reaching over and snagging the other half of Bella's sandwich.

She grinned up at me. "Hey you. I thought you were working."

"I got out early," I explained, grabbing her water bottle and taking a swig. The little boy studied me for a minute.

"Are you Bella's boyfriend?" he asked finally.

I raised my eyebrows. "No. Why?"

"Because you're eating after her. Only people who kiss do that."

Emmett snickered into his sandwich. I shot him a dirty look. "Well, we're really good friends. When you get bigger, girls aren't so gross and it's not weird to eat and drink after them."

"Oh." He sat and thought about that for a minute.

"Are you going to stay and play with us?" asked the girl.

I shrugged. "Maybe, if Bella says I can. She's kind of the boss of you and she says if I can stay or not."

Bella laughed. "If you want to stay, stay, but I'm warning you, there's a fierce rivalry going on."

"The boys ganged up on us and beat the pants off us," grumbled Alice, sipping on a Capri Sun.

"Well, maybe that's because it's three against two and the lower the score the better," I said patiently, snagging a chip from the boy's bag. I winked at him and he grinned up at me.

"Crap, I forgot about that," exclaimed Alice. She narrowed her eyes at Emmett. "You are so paying for this later."

He laughed. "Well, the teams are even now, three against three. We'll still beat you."

They finished eating and we headed in to the park. I studied Bella's face as we paid for another game and picked out putters and balls. She'd apparently found something to cover up her bruises. Her eye was still dark and puffy, but it wasn't as bad as it had been that morning when I left. She looked up then and caught me looking at her and rolled her eyes.

"Come on Hillary, let's go practice our swings."

The girl trotted after Bella, looking over her shoulder at me and grinning. She was a cute kid. The rest of us followed and we guys let the girls go first. I had to admit, I enjoyed sitting and watching Bella get ready to tee off. Her hips wiggled in a damn enticing way, giving me a great view from behind and her arms pressed her breasts together somewhat, giving me a great view from the front. The girl had no bad side.

Todd seemed to take a liking to me. Wherever I was, he was close behind. I even noticed him copying me at one point. I grinned to myself as he imitated my pose with the putter. I'd have to take him under my wing; he was obviously starting to notice girls already if he was asking if Bella and I were dating. Plus he kept stealing glances at Alice and giving her unnecessary hugs.

After we finished, the girls beating the guys, we headed back to the house. Emmett climbed into my car while the girls drove off in Bella's.

"She looks ok," he said finally. "Whatever shit she used to cover up her face is pretty good."

I nodded. "It's still there, though, and that pisses me off."

"Well, yeah, but she's not letting it stop her."

No, but it was slowing her down. She moved a little more carefully than usual so my guess was she was still sore.

At the house, we parked in front of our house next to Bella. She climbed out and the kids headed over to their house. Their dog was in the backyard so they let themselves in to play with him while Bella unloaded the picnic basket and hauled it into our kitchen. She set it on the table, passing me on the back steps as she headed over to the kids. The temperature was dropping fast so I knew she wanted to get them inside ahead of the storm that was blowing in.

"See you later," I called to her back. She turned and smiled, waving at me as she let herself into the backyard with the kids.

Alice was unloading the basket when I got inside. She looked up at me. "So what do you think?"

"About?" I grabbed an uneaten sandwich and some chips and settled myself down at the table.

"About how she's doing." She rolled her eyes. "She moves like an old lady."

I shrugged. "She says she's fine and she made it pretty clear that she doesn't want to talk about it."

Alice scowled at me. "Men," she muttered, disappearing into the living room.

Emmett looked at me annoyed. "What the hell? We're going by what Bella said."

I shook my head. "Women."

***

Tali: I love Emmett in this chapter. He's such a goofball, I wish he were real and I could hang out with him. Love ya!


	15. Chapter 15

What I have: a 14 pound cat who thinks he's a kitten so tries to snuggle up in impossibly small areas next to me, resulting in him practically laying on the keyboard as I try to type. Blame any typos on him.

What I don't have: are you really going to make me say it? Cause that's just cruel.

Bella's POV

"Bella, will you go Trick or Treating with us on Friday?" Todd asked as he munched on his puzzle piece.

"Don't you want your parents to go with you?" I asked curiously, wiping the counter down and putting the sandwich supplies away.

"They don't dress up. You would."

I grinned. "What are you dressing up as?"

"Harry Potter, duh."

I laughed. "And Hillary?"

He shrugged and swung his feet. "I'm not sure. Maybe Hannah Montana or something."

"So what adult costume goes with Harry Potter and Hannah Montana?"

He looked thoughtful as he took a pull on his juice box. "If you had blond hair you could be Tinkerbell."

I laughed. "Tinkerbell? Why do you think I should be Tinkerbell?"

He shrugged. "You're short and pretty."

I smiled. "I think my roommate Alice would be better for Tinkerbell. I'm more of a servant girl or something."

"I'll keep thinking about it," he promised.

I grinned and checked my watch. "You should hurry up; we've got to go get your sister in a few minutes."

He nodded, stuffing the last piece of his sandwich into his mouth and carrying his plate over to the dishwasher. We loaded up and headed out to ballet studio.

Hillary came bouncing out, her hair pulled back in a tight bun. I grinned to myself when I noticed the outlines of her training bra underneath her black leotard. She'd been beyond excited when Anne had taken her shopping for it last week.

"Hi Bella," she said cheerfully, climbing into the back seat. "Are you going to go Trick or Treating with us?"

I laughed. "Todd asked me the same thing earlier. I'm happy to go but what should I dress up as?"

"A ballerina," she said.

I chuckled. "I think it's too cold for that."

She sat thoughtfully. "I saw a costume at the store where we got ours that was a lady ladybug."

I looked at her in the rearview mirror. "A lady ladybug?"

She nodded. "It's a ladybug costume for grown-ups. Mom liked it but said she didn't have the figure for it, that only someone like you could pull it off."

I chuckled to myself. "What store was it? I'll take Alice and we'll see what we can find."

Hillary sighed. "I'm not sure. You'll have to ask Mom."

I nodded, a plan formulating in my mind.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. The kids were excited about their costumes and the idea of candy so it was hard to keep them on task. I finally bundled them up and headed out to the park.

After an hour, their cheeks were rosy and they were starting to get tired so we headed back to the house. Anne was walking up the front steps as we arrived.

"Hey kids," she smiled as they trooped into the house, shedding coats and scarves as they went. Her smile widened as she looked up at me. "How were they today?"

"Good. They asked me to go Trick or Treating with them on Friday."

"Oh. Are you interested?"

"Sure, I'll go. They said they wanted me over you because I'll dress up."

Anne laughed. "Robert and I dress up for a party for the hospital staff. We were actually going to ask if you would watch the kids for us that night."

"Oh, it's no problem. We were just going to be watching movies and passing out candy at our house."

"Wonderful." She looked immensely relieved.

"Oh, what was the name of that costume store you went to with Hillary? She said there might be something there I could use."

"Della's Costumes."

I grinned. "Thanks. See you tomorrow." I waved bye at the kids who were watching us through the windows and headed back to my house.

I put my plan into action when the others were in the middle of stuffing their faces. "I want us all to dress up and go Trick or Treating with the kids next door."

I was met with a table full of shocked expressions.

"Wait, what?" demanded Emmett, dropping his fork on his plate. "I'm not dressing up in some lame ass costume."

"So get something bad ass instead," I shrugged.

"Like what?"

"How should I know? Be Batman or Jack Sparrow or something. You're big enough to be the Hulk."

His face split into a grin. "I would be the best damn Hulk ever."

"We should go as the group from _The Wizard of Oz_," squealed Alice.

I snorted. "So what, I get to be a flying monkey?"

"No," she said annoyed. "You'd be Dorothy, I'd be Glenda and if Rosalie was still around she could be the Wicked Witch."

Even Edward grinned at that.

Jasper made a face. "I'll dress up as something from _The Wizard of Oz _with you Alice."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to find a costume the kids mentioned and wear that."

"So when do we shop?" asked Alice, practically bouncing in her seat.

"Well, since Halloween is Friday and today is Wednesday, I figure tomorrow is a good time."

She grinned. "Awesome. I'm going to go do some research so I can devote plenty of time to shopping tomorrow." And with that, she fairly bounced out of the room.

Edward's POV

The next day I rolled out of bed and headed out. My day was simple enough, classes until 1, work in the afternoon until the evening.

Emmett was waiting for me in the living room, ready to go. He looked up with a grin as I came down the stairs. "I think Thursday is my favorite day," he said as he climbed into my car. "You get to drive me to and from school, I get to go to lunch with Brittney, everything's good on Thursdays."

I rolled my eyes. "So are you really going to dress up as the Hulk tomorrow?"

"I would, but I'm not crazy about painting myself green. I'm thinking I'll go as a pirate or something. I've got some torn up pants and a striped shirt Mom bought me last year. I just need a bandana, patch, and gold earring."

"Don't forget about the parrot."

He grinned. "Fuck yeah, I need a bird on my shoulder. Then I'll be bitchin'."

I laughed. The rest of the drive was spent in idle chatter. I parked in the satellite lot and we hiked in to our respective classes. It was getting colder, so we walked faster.

The day passed quickly. We met up at the car at our usual time and drove home, chatting about the classes we'd taken. Emmett was curious to know what classes he had to look forward to the next year.

I dropped Emmett at the house and headed to work. Ted was at the register again, munching on M&M's and reading his magazine. I waved as I walked past him to clock in. I snapped on my badge and hit the floor.

More quiet and slow. I stuck out the entire shift and got home late after everyone had gone to bed. I grinned as I pulled in when I saw a faint light on in the attic. Bella was in my room again tonight.

She was sitting in bed reading when I came in. she looked up and smiled at me. "Have a good day?"

I dropped my bag by my desk and pulled my shirts off to get ready for bed. "It was long," I said tiredly. "You?"

"Pretty good. The kids were a little nuts today since they have their costumes and really wanted to wear them."

I grinned as I headed into the bathroom. "So did you and Alice get yours?"

She laughed. "Yeah. You're going to laugh when you see the costumes she got for the two of them."

"Do I get a hint?" I asked, crawling into the bed beside her.

"Nope. And you don't get to hear about mine either. You just show up at 6 tomorrow dressed and ready."

Shit. I didn't have a costume. I frowned and tried to figure out what I could dress up as that wasn't completely stupid. I stroked her hair absentmindedly.

She chuckled softly. "G'night, Edward."

"G'night."

Bella's POV

I smiled at Hillary. "You look great," I assured her. "Just like Hannah Montana." She looked pleased with herself and ran off to her room to check herself out in the mirror. I turned to Todd, who was dressed in a long black robe with a red and gold striped scarf around his neck and round framed glasses that he'd wrapped tape around the bridge of. "Ready for your lightning bolt Harry?"

He grinned and nodded, sitting down in the chair in front of me. "I want it over my right eye," he instructed.

I grinned and pulled out the black eyebrow pencil we'd bought just for this. I carefully drew the bolt in the desired location then sent him off to show Anne.

Anne had come home early so she could get ready for the party she and Robert were going to at 7. I headed home to change and eat dinner. We were doing leftovers so I grabbed a sandwich and headed up to my room to get dressed.

The costume I ended up with was not what I expected. I studied it dubiously as I pulled off my clothes. The lady ladybug, as Hillary called it, was essentially a red corset/bustier top with black polka dots and tiny spaghetti straps. The corset part went from my armpits down to about my crotch and then had a flared tutu looking skirt that added about six inches. There were some black fairy looking wings and a black headband with heart shaped antennae. Alice had insisted on some black ruffled hot pants to go underneath and some black fishnets. I was allowed to pick my own shoes, though, so I had some black peep toe heels with red dots on them. The entire ensemble was entirely too sexy for going out with kids, but Alice insisted, so I had it. I practically had to shimmy myself into it, but once on, I had to admit it looked damn good. I pulled on a black shrug before putting my wings on and headed over to get the kids.

Robert answered the door in some kind of Hawaiian type costume. I grinned up at him. "Looking good, Robert."

He laughed. "You should see Anne. She looks amazing as a hula girl. The kids' make-up is great, by the way. Thanks for doing that."

I smiled. "Not a problem. They were easy enough to decorate."

He grinned and ushered me in. Hillary and Todd bounded out of the kitchen then, their candy containers in their hands.

"Is it time?" asked Todd eagerly. "I'm ready to go get candy!"

I grinned. "Yep. Let's go kids."

"Not before picture time!" called Anne, descending the stairs quickly.

I grinned up at her. You had to admire a 30 something woman who wore a grass skirt and coconut bra in public.

I posed with the kids, then she snapped pictures of them individually and with their dad and I took a family shot and one of Anne and Robert alone. We waved our goodbyes and headed across the yards to my house. Todd ran up and rang the doorbell eagerly.

Edward's POV

I'd finally settled on a costume as Waldo, from the _Where's Waldo _books. I'd grabbed a red and white striped shirt Mom bought me ages ago that I hated and pulled it on with my jeans. I'd had to hunt at Wal-mart for ages before I finally found a red and white striped beanie and some cheap round framed glasses. All in all, I felt like it was a pretty good costume. Jasper and Alice were a cheerleader and football player, made all the more hilarious by the gender swap. Alice had smeared something black under her eyes and was carrying her helmet while Jasper anxiously tugged on his skirt.

"Looking good," I grinned at him. He shot me an eat-shit look which I thought was hilarious. Alice had gotten him to wear a blond ponytail wig and had even done his make-up. Emmett ended up in his makeshift pirate costume and it actually worked out pretty well for him.

"Waldo!" Bella laughed when she first saw me. She gave me a quick squeeze. "Looks good."

I was momentarily stunned by her costume. She looked fucking amazing in it, all legs and tiny waist and fantastic tits. She winked at me as she took Hillary's hand and we set out. Todd looked up at me with a shy smile.

"Will you help me with my candy?"

"Uh…sure." I managed a grin at him as Emmett sidled up alongside of me.

"All I have to say is 'Damn.'" He muttered softly so the little guy didn't hear. I nodded mutely as we followed.

Alice looked over her shoulder at us, an amused smirk on her face. "I know my butt looks awesome in these pants, but try to keep up ladies."

Emmett grinned. "If anyone, we're checking out Jasper. Who knew you had such great legs, dude?"

Jasper shot him an evil look and his eyes flicked to Todd next to me. "We'll talk later," he grumbled.

The five of us walked along with the two kids, letting them do their thing while we supervised. We'd put out a bowl of candy at our house, hoping to appease any tricksters. I was doubtful, remembering what I'd been like at that age. I would have stolen all the candy and still egged the house, but then, I'd been a bit of a bastard as a kid, hence the police record.

"Cold?" I asked Bella as she rubbed her arms at one of the houses a few blocks away.

She grinned up at me. "A little. I thought there'd be more to this costume. I feel indecent walking around with the kids while dressed like this."

I grinned. "You look amazing, though."

She smiled. "Thanks. I'm so excited you did Waldo, I have to say. I was a little in love with him as a kid."

I laughed as the kids came back to us and we moved on. "I wanted to be him," I admitted. "Just get lost in a crowd. Not that my home life was hard," I added quickly "but when you're the only one…"

"The focus is always on you. I get you." She smiled up at me and slipped her hand into mine. It was ice cold so I chafed it between mine to warm it up some. She grinned and simply slipped it in the pocket of my jacket.

Alice turned around to say something at one point and stopped, her eyes darting down to Bella's hand in my jacket. I raised my eyebrows at her, daring her to say something with my expression. She merely grinned and turned back around.

After a couple of hours, the kids were cold and tired, resulting in Emmett carrying Todd on his shoulders and Hillary draped in my jacket. We headed back to the house to change and wait for the Bonners to get back from their party. Everyone had already eaten, so we headed downstairs to start a movie for the kids while we took turns changing. We couldn't watch anything too scary, so we popped in a Harry Potter movie that Todd seemingly knew all the dialogue to. Bella rolled her eyes and shooed the rest of us out to change while she settled on the couch, her wings and shoes discarded. She pulled the kids on either side of her and wrapped them all up in a blanket.

I changed quickly and headed back downstairs to let Bella go change herself. She looked up at me when I came in.

"Back to Edward," she said with a melodramatic sigh. "I was looking forward to spending more time with Waldo."

I laughed. "That can definitely be arranged." I winked at her. "You want to go change?"

She shook her head. "This is actually more comfortable than it looks. Plus we're all pretty cozy here, right kids?"

Todd looked up from the movie. "I'm kinda thirsty. Can I have some hot cocoa?"

"Me too?" asked Hillary, sitting up eagerly.

Bella laughed. "Ok, so not so cozy. I'll go get you some cocoa."

"I'll get it," I waved her down and headed upstairs to start some water boiling. I paused outside of Emmett's door. "You want cocoa?"

"Do I get mini-marshmallows?" he asked, sticking his head out, his eyes smudged with the black eyeliner Alice had adeptly applied earlier.

I rolled my eyes. "If we've got some, sure."

"I can't have cocoa without mini-marshmallows. It's not the same."

"God, fine. If we've got marshmallows, you'll get some cocoa."

He grinned. "Thanks Waldo." He ducked back into his room and I made my way to the kitchen, shaking my head.

Twenty minutes later, we were all watching Harry and the gang defeat some weird dude with a face on the back of his head. I looked over at Bella for clarification and she shook her head. "You have to read the book." I shrugged and sipped on my cocoa. Luckily, we'd had mini-marshmallows so Emmett's demands had been met. He's snaked a couple chocolates from the kids' goodie bags and had melted those into his cocoa, too. He was just asking for diabetes, in my opinion.

The movie ended and Todd sat forward. "Can we watch the second one?" he asked eagerly.

"Sure, but while we're changing it out, you need to take a potty break."

Todd jumped off the couch and ran upstairs to the half bath. Hillary yawned. "When are my parents coming home?" she asked sleepily.

"Soon," Bella smiled, stroking the younger girl's hair.

Hillary leaned against Bella and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep almost before Todd reappeared. He wordlessly held up his hands to Bella who nodded and patted the couch beside her. He climbed up and snuggled against her other side while Emmett hit play.

It was during the second film that the Bonner's came for their kids. Bella helped them up the stairs and returned a little later with a grin on her face. "I got a bonus for tonight. Pizza's on me tomorrow."

Emmett grinned. "Have I told you recently that you're my favorite?"

She rolled her eyes and climbed into the armchair with him. "Ok, I made a promise and I'm keeping it. I picked the grown up movie for this evening and the guy at the store said it would scare the bejeezus out of us so I'm sitting with Emmett tonight."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "What is it?"

"_Wait Until Dark._"

We stared at her in silence. "Um…never heard of it," Jasper said finally.

"So start it. It's already in the player."

Alice got up to switch off the lights. Jasper hit play and we settled back to watch. It was a little slow at first but then the movie really picked up. There were a couple of real scares but the end of it nearly had me peeing my pants.

When the movie ended, we sat in silence.

"Damn," Emmett whispered at the end. "I'm not going to sleep well tonight."

Bella laughed. "Need a snuggle buddy?"

"Dude, I'm not kidding. That freaked me out."

She put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "You'll be fine. No one will mess with you."

"Shit, I sleep in a fucking basement. I'm sleeping on the couch upstairs tonight."

Jasper and Alice were snickering. "Next movie please," Alice said.

I groaned when I realized the next movie was _Psycho_. This was a movie that always gave me nightmares. And as it had yet another basement scene, Emmett looked ready to hyperventilate.

Bella's POV

I lay in bed trying to sleep but I couldn't help the fact that my ears were straining for the hint of any sound. The house was old and creaked every once in a while as it settled. Edward hadn't come down yet and I was confused as to where he was. Probably taking a shower or something.

I sighed and rolled over, thumping my pillows to get them situated. I started when I heard a soft tap on my door. I sat up, frowning.

"Come in."

Emmett stuck his head around the door sheepishly. "I'm really fucking freaked out now. Can I sleep with you? I'll be good."

I laughed and patted the bed next to me. He grinned and crawled in beside me. He was bigger than Edward but I was just as comfortable with him. I snuggled up against his side, disappointed that he wasn't Edward, but grateful I wasn't alone. Truth be told, I was a little freaked out too.

Edward's POV

I paused when I opened the door to Bella's room and saw someone in bed with her. I frowned and then grinned when I realized it was Emmett. I knew he was a big baby. I stood for a moment, watching them.

Bella was so tiny curled up next to him, his arms wrapped around her protectively. I realized with a start they probably would be a pretty good couple and that I would totally kick his ass if that ever happened.

Bella opened her eyes and looked at me, a soft smile on her face. She winked and blew me a kiss before rolling over and snuggling up against Emmett again. I waited for a pang of jealous anger but nothing came. It was just two friends sharing a bed because they were freaked out from a scary movie. I was a tad jealous because if I were to admit it, I was a little freaked out, too. I blew a kiss at her back and tiptoed back upstairs to my creepy attic.

***

Tali: More movie recommendations: _Wait Until Dark_ is totally a scare-you-almost-shitless movie. I saw it at an historic theater one Halloween and there's a scene where EVERYONE in the theater gasped and jumped. IT KICKS ASS. I highly recommend it. It's from the late 60's and stars Audrey Hepburn as a blind woman terrorized by heroin dealers. I'm actually tempted to watch it now and it's after midnight on a stormy night…..

Also, I'm a little obsessed with ladybugs and I found a way cute ladybug costume online, hence this entire chapter. I showed it to my husband and said even though I'm not into costumes for anything other than like, a play, I'd wear that if I had it and had an occasion to wear it. He's trying to get me to buy it.


	16. Chapter 16

November

Bella's POV

_I'm glad Edward finally dumped Rosalie but he hasn't done anything about us. It's incredibly frustrating and annoying but I get that he needs to be himself for a while. _

_It's so frustrating how he keeps me at arm's length all the time, though. He pulls me closer then pushes me away five minutes later. I feel like a yo-yo half the time. I wish he'd just make up his mind and figure out what the hell he wants with me. It's not fair to sleep together most night and then he flirts with me all day when we're together and still nothing. In fact, it's downright hurtful._

I reread what I'd just written and rolled my eyes. I sounded like a lovesick junior high girl. Disgusting. I sighed and shut my journal. Hillary and Todd were done with their homework and wanting to play a board game. I shoved the journal in my backpack and started picking up the trash from their snack as they pulled out Clue.

Thanksgiving break started Wednesday and I was heading back to Chicago with Jasper, Alice and Edward. Emmett was going home to Quincy, a small town on the banks of the Mississippi a little while across the river from Hannibal, Missouri.

Things with Edward were basically stalemated. After the nearly simultaneous break ups with Mike and Rosalie, I thought maybe something would happen, but still nothing other than the constant flirting and the nighttime bed routine. Then the whole situation with James and he was even more protective but _still_ nothing. I wanted to scream. It was really starting to frustrate the shit out of me. In some ways I was looking forward to having a few days away from him. In others, I was going to miss the hell out of him.

Anne came home about 5:30. They had the entire week off so they were heading somewhere fun and she was eager to get things together. I'd spent some time while the kids were working on homework folding and packing the clothes that Anne had laid out in their rooms, so she pretty much just needed to load up the car in the morning.

"Thanks so much for all your help, Bella," she said smiling as she wrote me my paycheck. "Have a great week next week!"

I grinned and pocketed the check on my way out the door. It was cold outside, the late fall breeze cutting through my jacket. It was a warm enough jacket for Texas, but definitely not for Illinois. Alice was going to take me shopping for winter clothes the weekend after Thanksgiving while there were sales going on. I wasn't too excited about that, but Alice was not to be swayed. I didn't have hardly anything fit for an Illinois winter so I was being forced to shop.

I burst through the kitchen door, shivering and rubbing my arms. "Durn, its cold!" I exclaimed, moving into the living room where the fire had been lit. I held my hands out to it and sighed as they started to thaw.

Alice looked up from her position on the floor. She was surrounded by textbooks and papers. "Yeah, that happens in late November. You wouldn't be so cold if you wore gloves and a coat."

I made a face at her. "I'm thinking soup and sandwiches for dinner," I muttered. "Screw pizza, we need something hot that'll stick."

She grinned. "I'm up for that. Need help? I'm sick of this bullshit."

"Sure, I'm going to do potato soup and someone needs to peel the potatoes."

She made a face but followed me into the kitchen. I pulled out my pressure cooker and filled it with water and set it up on the stove to cook the potatoes while Alice started chopping onions. I grabbed the remnants of a spiral cut ham we'd had on Sunday and started cutting the ham off. I put the naked bone to the side and quickly cubed some of the ham, reserving some slices for sandwiches.

"So what's up with you and Edward these days?" she asked grabbing a chunk of ham.

I sighed and stirred the soup. "I don't know. I thought by now he'd have done something or said something but he hasn't."

She studied me for a moment. "So maybe you should take the first step."

I looked at her for a moment. "Meaning what?"

She shrugged. "Tell him how you feel. Let him know that you're interested. Some shit like that."

I stared down into the soup pot. "I did that already." I fought back a sudden onslaught of tears. "He doesn't really want me, Alice."

I heard a small gasp. "When the fuck did this happen and where the hell was I? And what do you mean he doesn't want you?"

I sighed. "I confronted him about it the day after the kiss. I basically said we weren't 'just friends' anymore and that I was admitting it and he needed to. He pointed out we were both with people and said he wouldn't ask me to break up with Mike for a maybe."

"A maybe?"Alice huffed indignantly. "You two are a definite."

I shrugged and started assembling sandwiches. "I asked what he would do if I asked him to break up with Rosalie for a definite and he just kind of…sat there. He accused me of being a hormonal teenager."

"That asshole!" Alice was indignant now.

I chuckled. "Ok, maybe not in so many words, but he did say we might just be blinded by hormones. I got fed up and left."

She sat in silence for a moment. "So, you told him you wanted to be more than friends."

"Yes."

"He broke up with Rosalie the same day."

"Yes."

"And you dumped Buster the next day."

I gave her a look. "That's pretty much the Cliff's Notes, yes."

"Then why the fuck aren't you two doing the nasty yet?"

I laughed. "Because it's his turn to do something and he hasn't."

"Nothing?"

"Well, other than rescuing me from James, no, and Emmett or Jasper would have come if I'd called them but Edward was first in the list."

She nodded and shrugged. "Well, he's an ass. No wait, a douche. Those are grosser."

I laughed again. "I think it depends on the ass, actually."

"Yes, but a used douche…"

"Enough," I grimaced and held up a hand. "Let's stop that now before I lose my appetite."

She sighed. "Ok, fine, but know this." She reached over and put her hands on my shoulders, locking eyes with me. "Just because he didn't say it or really act on it right away doesn't mean he doesn't want you. He does, he just doesn't know how to let you know that or how to act on it. He's a dumb guy."

I gave her a wobbly laugh. "Thanks. I'm glad you're here to remind me of that fact."

She grinned and started helping with the food instead of dissecting and analyzing the non-existence of mine and Edward's romantic relationship.

With Alice's help, we soon had the soup simmering and were preparing a pile of sandwiches to go along with it.

Jasper and Edward came home at some point during our cooking and headed upstairs to drop off their back packs before coming back downstairs to keep us company.

"You guys are going to _love_ the movie I picked for us," announced Emmett, as he bounded through the kitchen door. "It's awesome." He grinned that stupid lopsided grin of his that you couldn't help but smile back at.

"_Army of Darkness_" he said proudly. "Only one of the best fucking movies of all time. I love this movie."

I grinned. "Me too. Brad and I used to watch it all the time."

I remember that!" exclaimed Jasper, snitching a chunk of ham off the cutting board. "Man, your brother loved that movie. Really, he just loved all movies."

I nodded, smiling and swallowing hard against a suddenly sharp lump in my throat. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. I looked up and smiled at Edward.

"If y'all want to go ahead in and start the movie, I'll be down in a bit with the soup," I offered.

"Sweet. I've got the sandwiches!" Emmett announced, grabbing the platter and heading downstairs to the basement.

The others followed, taking the soup bowls and spoons as they went.

"You ok?" asked Edward after the others had gone.

I nodded. "Yeah. It helps to talk about him sometimes, but if we get too much into it I might cry."

He grinned and tugged on my ponytail. "Well, anytime you want to talk, I'm around. I'll save you a seat on the couch," he winked at me.

I grinned at him as I grabbed the tureen of soup and headed down after him. I carefully set the soup down and ladled it out.

After the soup had been distributed, I settled myself on the couch between Emmett and Edward while Jasper hit the lights and pressed play. I was exhausted from a long day at school and then babysitting next door for a few hours and with a belly full of sandwiches and warm soup in a dark room, I soon fell asleep.

I woke up gradually, but I was so comfortable and warm, I didn't move or open my eyes. I could tell the movie was over, but the lights were still off. The others were talking quietly.

"Shit, Edward, why aren't you with her yet? What's holding you back?"

I felt a low chuckle. Apparently I was leaning on him. Again. "I'm being single for a while, remember? Besides, Bella isn't terribly interested in dating right now, remember James?"

"Uh, hello, she gets all smiley whenever you come in and she almost always falls asleep on you." Alice was laughing softly.

"Yeah," Emmett jumped in, "you two are great together. I like you and Bella tons more than you and Rosalie. Rosalie was just mean and bossy and pushy."

"That's cause she's a bitch," explained Jasper patiently.

"Seriously, though," Alice brought the focus off of discussions of Rosalie's faults, "do something already. You like Bella, right?"

I moved then, not wanting to hear his response. I was afraid it was something I wouldn't want to hear. The others quickly started talking about something else, Emmett's new job at the music store with Edward.

I looked up at Edward sleepily. "Frick, I fell asleep on you again, didn't I?" I sat up, embarrassed. He grinned down at me.

"It's fine. You're light."

I rolled my eyes and stretched. "I think I'll go on to bed now. Sorry I'm such a party pooper guys."

"Don't worry about it, you feed us," Emmett grinned at me. "A lot can be forgiven due to awesome food.

I smiled and headed upstairs. Almost as soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.

Edward's POV

I overheard the last part of the conversation between Alice and Bella in the kitchen but didn't want them to know it. It wasn't like I'd overheard anything terribly personal, but there'd been a catch in Bella's voice that tore at me. She'd been more subdued the last month, still healing and getting over the attack from James. Thankfully, she hadn't felt threatened by any of us and was still just as cuddly with us as she had been before, climbing into Emmett's lap during scary movies and snuggling against me at night, joking around with Jasper in the kitchen when he helped her out and just generally being…Bella.

I hated that she thought I didn't want her. I _did_ want her, so much sometimes it was unnerving. In trying to give her space and be her friend, I'd somehow unintentionally communicated that I didn't want her as more.

She went up to bed somewhat early and Alice and Jasper followed shortly after. The week had been rough and even though next week was short, it was looking to be brutal, too. Emmett and I sat in relative quiet for a while after the others had gone to bed, watching some of the special features. He finally turned to me.

"So what's up."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Apparently, I'm a douche."

He grinned. "Yeah, I knew that. What else?"

I shrugged. "Not much. You?"

He was quiet, the smile gone and replaced by a much more serious look on Emmett than I was used to seeing. "Well, there's this girl."

I raised my eyebrows. "A girl who's more of a girlfriend type or a girl who's just a one night stand?"

He rubbed his head thoughtfully. "I'm not sure yet. It's so far just been a series of hook ups, but I'm thinking it could be more."

"Anyone I know?"

He was quiet. "You've met her," he said finally. "I'm not saying who it is in case things don't work out."

I shrugged. He was discreet about very little, but his women was one thing he kept close to the vest. "What does she think?"

"Dunno. Guess I should talk to her, huh?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, talking has a tendency to clear things up."

He gave me a knowing look. "So why aren't you talking to Bella?"

Ouch. "We talk," I said defensively.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but not about what you need to talk about. You talk about stupid shit. I know it's totally against the guy code, but it sounds like you two need to discuss a few things."

I groaned. "I'll lose my man card."

He laughed. "So what? I'd give up my man card in a heartbeat if it meant being with that one special girl."

I grinned at him. "You think Lady X might be her?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. I'm definitely interested in finding out, though." He grinned at me and flicked the TV off. "I'm going to bed now. See you tomorrow?"

I nodded and thoughtfully watched him head back to his room. I finally pulled myself up and headed upstairs, turning off lights behind me and checking the locks on the doors. The dirty dishes were piled in the sink to be washed tomorrow so I ran some water over them to make that task easier before heading upstairs.

Bella's door was ajar and I looked in. she was sprawled across the bed, her dark hair escaping from her customary braid, the pillow I usually slept on hugged tightly to her chest. A second pillow was squeezed between her thighs and I had a sudden wish to be that pillow. She shifted slightly and sighed softly.

"Edward."

I stiffened. She mumbled in her sleep, sometimes even forming coherent words and sentences, but she'd never said my name.

"Why don't you want me?" her voice broke and I sighed, resting my forehead on the doorjamb.

I entered the room quietly, stripping down and climbing into the bed next to her. I carefully rearranged the pillows, grateful for once that she slept like the dead. Once everything was fixed, she wrapped her arms around my chest and squeezed me tightly. I realized with a start that she was crying a little, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. It was the first time I'd seen her cry over me. Other guys being assholes, her brother, missing her family, sure. Never me. I stroked her rope of hair gently and kissed her forehead.

"I do want you, Bella," I whispered softly. "I really do."


	17. Chapter 17

Bella's POV

Wednesday morning, I woke up with my face pressed into the nook of Edward's neck and shoulder. I flushed and rolled away. This was not really the best way to start the day when it just made me want more. I sighed and headed to the bathroom. Alice was exiting as I approached.

She grinned at me. "Ready to roll? We're heading out after lunch."

I grunted as I headed into the bathroom. I showered quickly and brushed my teeth and washed my face when I got out. I wrapped towels around myself and headed back to my room. Edward was still asleep.

I studied him for a minute, unsure of what to do. I finally grunted and poked Edward in the side. He didn't budge. I tightened the towel around my chest and grabbed his shoulders and shook him. His eyes flew open and he grabbed my waist and pulled me onto the bed beside him. The towel wrapped around my hair fell off and the towel around me loosened.

"What?!" he asked bewildered.

"It's time to get up," I muttered, scrambling to keep myself covered.

"Oh." He eased but didn't release me. He frowned. "Why are you wearing a towel?"

"Generally when you take a shower that's what you wrap around yourself until you can get dressed."

He grinned. "So if I pulled this off you'd be completely naked?"

I pushed against him frustrated. "Let me be, perv. You need to go before Alice comes in here looking for me. She wants to leave after lunch and it's already 11."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh alright. I'll ravish you later." He winked at me as he sauntered out of the room, stopping to check first if anyone was in the hallway.

I dressed quickly, twisting my wet hair up into its customary bun. I hadn't packed yet so I dragged my suitcase out of the closet and started tossing things in. The door opened and Edward came in fully dressed.

"I'm supposed to hurry you up," he grinned stretching out on my bed. "So hurry up."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'm packing. I was too tired last night to do it and didn't think I'd sleep so late this morning."

"Need help? I'm excellent at packing girl's underwear."

I threw a paperback at him which he caught easily and laughed.

"Are you all packed?" I asked pointedly.

His grin widened. "Of course I am. My mama didn't raise no fools."

I sighed and turned to my closet. I pulled out a navy blue dress and some blue heels for Thanksgiving dinner. If I remembered correctly Jasper's family dressed up for the holidays. Aunt Cassie loved putting on big fancy dinners.

"That's nice, why haven't I seen it before?"

I frowned at Edward. "Are you just going to sit there and keep up a running commentary? You haven't seen this because we never have reasons to dress up around here. When we go out we dress up in a different way."

He grinned again. "Well, I look forward to seeing you in it."

I raised my eyebrows. "When will you see me?"

"My family and the Armstrongs always join the Coopers for Thanksgiving dinner. So, we'll see you then. You'll get to meet my parents."

"Should I be worried?" I laughed as I stuffed the last handful of panties into my suitcase.

"Nah, they'll love you. You're every parent's wet dream."

I looked at him. "Uh…thanks?"

He laughed and stood up, crossing the room to take my suitcase from me. I grabbed my purse and followed along behind him.

Jasper looked up expectantly. "It's about damn time. What, did you two stop for a quickie?"

My face flared up. "No," I retorted. "I hadn't packed yet. Boyo here just sat on my bed and distracted me by making stupid comments."

Edward rolled his eyes. "You know you love me."

Jasper grabbed my suitcase and headed outside. I frowned when I realized they'd loaded up my car. "Hey, what's up with that?"

"You've got the biggest car. We figured we'd save gas and all ride together. Alice's sister Jane has a car and Edward can just use his dad's if he needs to go anywhere."

I sighed. I was clearly outnumbered here. Once the car was loaded we trooped back inside and finished off a lot of the leftovers in the fridge. Emmett was long gone, having left early for his 2 and a half hour drive. His mom wanted him home before lunch.

When we were finished eating we locked up the house and piled in the car and headed out. It was only three hours but I was still tired from the weeks before so I handed the keys over to Jasper. Alice claimed shotgun so that left Edward and I in the backseat.

Edward leaned forward and plugged his iPod into the adapter and pressed play. He'd already selected a playlist because _Boulevard of Broken Dreams_ started blaring through the speakers. I winced and leaned forward to turn it down some.

"Excuse me, we're the front seat people," said Alice, clearly annoyed.

I rolled my eyes but sat back obediently. Edward wrapped his arm around me and pulled me against his chest. "Just leave them alone and go to sleep already," he teased. I made a face at him but closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Edward's POV

"So how long have you two been sleeping together?" asked Alice nonchalantly once Bella was asleep.

I stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She laughed and looked over her shoulder at me. "I've seen you two sneaking out of each other's rooms."

I sighed. "No sex, just sleeping, I swear to God. We just sleep better together." I shifted Bella on me a little so I could stretch out diagonally in the back seat.

She rolled her eyes but turned back around. "Your mom is going to absolutely go bat-shit crazy for her."

The rest of the ride was quiet. Bella slept and I feigned sleep so I wouldn't have to answer any more pointed questions.

We got to Alice's house first. I gently shook Bella to wake her up. We all lived in a three block radius so we'd be at Jasper's before too long. She sat up looking sleepy and confused and entirely too adorable for either of our good.

"Are we there yet?" she rasped in that dick twitching just-woke-up voice.

"Almost," I grinned at her. "Jasper's helping Alice inside with all her stuff. I'm just down the street and you are around the corner."

She yawned. "Ok. Sorry for sleeping on you the whole way here."

I shrugged. "Oh, just so you know, they know about our nightly routine."

Her face turned pink. "Crud. How?"

"Apparently we weren't as sneaky as we thought."

She made a face but didn't say anything as Jasper came back to the car. A few houses later we pulled up in front of my house. I waved to the two of them as I pulled my suitcase out of the back and headed up the steps.

"I'm home," I called as I walked through the door.

"Sweetheart!" Mom cried, throwing her arms around my neck. "I haven't seen you in so long."

I rolled my eyes but hugged her back. "I was here in August."

"Yeah, but not for long. You only had that weekend off from work and school."

"How's everything?"

"Good. Your father's out back grilling. We're having steaks for dinner."

"Awesome." I headed out to the deck. Dad was standing in front of the grill poking at steaks. "Hey, Dad," I greeted him. He turned and gave me a big hug.

"Hey Edward. How was the drive?"

"Good. How long until the steaks are ready?"

He grinned. "About fifteen minutes. You've got time to go freshen up if you want."

I nodded and clapped him on the back. "I'll fill you in on everything over dinner," I promised as I headed back inside.

I grabbed my suitcase and headed upstairs to my room. It was just like I remembered.

The walls were blue and the bedding was blue and brown. There were bookshelves covering all available wall space full of books and the trophies and knick-knacks of my youth. One wall was all windows and the wall to the right of the door had the closet and bathroom doors. I tossed my suitcase on the bed and headed into the bathroom.

I switched my shirt for a fresher one and headed downstairs for lunch.

"So I hear you have a new roommate," Mom said with a smile.

I nodded, taking a bite of the salad. "Yeah, she's Jasper's cousin, Bella? Remember her?"

She nodded. "Vaguely. Tiny little thing, lots of dark hair, gigantic brown eyes? Always reading?"

I nodded. "That's her. She's going to Millikin so she doesn't have the drive the rest of us do. She's also the nanny next door for those kids Alice watched freshman year."

"What's she like?" asked Dad, exchanging a glance with Mom. I felt a surge of annoyance. Apparently Jasper and Alice had big mouths.

"She's ok. Like a kid sister, I guess," I shrugged it off.

"Mm." Mom smiled back at me.

I sighed and pushed my plate back. "What?" I demanded.

She laughed. "We hear that you two are pretty cozy. I'm looking forward to meeting her tomorrow at dinner."

I groaned. "Please don't embarrass her. I'll tell you anything you want if you just leave her alone."

Dad looked at me with surprise. "Things must be pretty serious with you two if you want to protect her that badly."

I scowled. "There's nothing really going on."

"So…anything?" Dad looked at me with a grin.

I sighed and braced myself. "Yeah."

"What exactly does 'nothing really going on' entail?"

I frowned. "We tease each other a lot, flirt tons and" I took a deep breath "we sleep together at night."

Mom dropped her fork with a clatter.

"No sex, just sleeping," I clarified quickly.

"Why are you sleeping together?" asked Dad with confusion.

I shrugged. "We just both sleep better that way. It started by accident her second night when she was unpacking and had stuff all over her bed. I offered to let her share mine, since it's huge anyway, and she accepted. We ended up spooning" no way in fuck was I going to reveal how we'd actually woken up "and realized we'd had the best night of sleep in a while. So…it just kind of went from there."

They were both staring at me like I'd just confessed to being the Unabomber. "But…no sex," Mom prodded.

I rolled my eyes. "No sex."

She looked relieved. "I'm not foolish enough not to realize that you're all most likely sexually active" Dad choked on his beer "I just don't want to think of you taking advantage of that girl. She's three years younger than you are."

"I know, Mom." I stabbed at my broccoli and stuffed it in my mouth.

"So do you want more with her?" asked Dad curiously.

I groaned. "I don't know," I answered honestly. "I have to admit that sometimes I _do_ want sex, but I'm not going there with her unless we were in a relationship."

Mom looked pained. "I wish you wouldn't until you're at the very least out of school, preferably married."

I rolled my eyes. "That's not really that realistic in today's world."

"Let me dream," she sighed, taking a sip of her wine.

Bella's POV

"Mom, Dad, we're here," Jasper shouted as we entered the familiar red Victorian. Cassie came from the kitchen, a huge smile on her face.

"Hey kids! How was the drive?" she pulled us into a group hug.

"Fine. Bella slept the whole way." Jasper grinned at me.

I punched him lightly in the arm. "I had a long week." I turned to Cassie. "How are you?" I asked with a grin.

"I'm good," she laughed. "You're in the rose room at the head of the stairs. We're going out to dinner with the Armstrongs tonight at 7 so you've got plenty of time to finish napping if you want."

I grinned. "I may take you up on that. I hope you don't mind if I sleep a lot the next few days."

"Not at all, it's to be a relaxing time for both of you. Though I hear Alice is taking you shopping Friday."

I groaned. "Yeah, I couldn't get out of that. I need some Illinois appropriate winter clothing. Turns out Texas isn't nearly as cold."

She grinned. "Do you have enough money for it? We can give you some."

I waved her off and started for the stairs. "Nah, I'm good. I've been saving my paychecks. Plus Mom and Dad sent me some birthday money."

"Well, let me know," she called up after me.

I swung my suitcase up onto the bed with the familiar rose pattern. The wallpaper was covered with roses, the canopy had roses on it, even the carpet had roses. It was like a rosebush threw up in that room.

I toed off my shoes as I rummaged through my purse for my cell phone. I pulled it out and lay down on the bed. I pulled up Edward's number and grinned as I sent him a text. I set the phone on the pillow next to me and curled up to take a nap.

Edward's POV

I dropped onto my bed, exhausted from a long afternoon of catching up with Mom and Dad. I loved my parents, but I was starting to realize that you really can't go home again. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and flipped it open. I'd felt it vibrate during dinner telling me I had a text but I wasn't dumb enough to check it in front of my parents. They hated people on cell phones during meals. I grinned when I saw it was from Bella.

**Getting the third degree yet?**

I chuckled and typed back a response before turning on the TV on my shelf.

**Yeah, apparently Jasper and Alice have big mouths. Beware.**

I flipped through the channels before settling on _Army of Darkness_. No matter how many times I saw this movie, it always made me laugh.

My phone deedled at me and I grinned, picking it up. Bella had responded.

**Thanks for the heads up. We're all off to dinner together. Any recommendations for Hemingway's?**

I groaned. I loved that restaurant. **The grilled lamb chops are orgasmic.**

I turned back to the movie. A moment later, she responded.

**Awe, poor Lambchop. TTYL.**

I grinned. Fuck. I already missed her and it had only been a few hours since I'd seen her. I thunked my head back against the headboard a couple times. Maybe this week I could finally figure out what the hell was going on with us.

**Enjoy…you know you'll be thinking of me all night…;-)**

Bella's POV

I flipped my phone closed with a grin. Of course I'd be thinking of him all night. I tugged the hem of my pink sweater down a little more. It was long, but I was always self conscious that it would ride up. I smoothed my hair and headed downstairs.

Carl grinned up at me. "You look just like your mother," he grinned, pulling me into a hug.

We loaded up in the car and headed out. Hemingway's wasn't far and when we got there, the Armstrongs were already there. Alice's sister Jane looked just like her but with longer hair. Their mom, Linda, was tall and had red hair while their dad was taller and had dark hair. I wondered how two such tall people ended up with such short daughters. We settled around a table and ordered fairly quickly. Armed with Edward's recommendation I was ready when everyone else was.

Dinner was interesting. Everyone was catching up with each other. Every once in a while they'd toss a question my way, but most of it was directed at each other. I was content to sit back and eat and listen to everyone visiting.

It was late when we were heading back to the house. I trotted upstairs to go to bed, calling my goodnights as I called up Edward's number.

**Lambchop was tasty. How was your evening?**

I tossed the phone on the bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready to go to sleep. I heard it beep as I was brushing my teeth.

I grinned as I saw his response.

**I watched a movie and it was weird because no one fell asleep on me. You should come over and do that.**

I bit my lip and typed out my response.

**Wouldn't it be easier for you to come here? I might get lost. Plus I'm a vulnerable girl.**

He didn't respond for a long time. I frowned as I pulled the covers down and crawled in. I grabbed my book off the night stand and started to read, but I was distracted. It wasn't like him to take so long to respond. I scowled at my book. A "good night" at least would have been nice.

I jumped when the phone chirped at last.

**I'm outside. What room are you in?**

I stared at it for a beat, then jumped up and ran to the window. Sure enough, he was standing on the front sidewalk. My jaw dropped and I opened the door to the balcony. Lucky for me, the family bedrooms were on the back of the house.

He grinned when he saw me and gestured to the side where the trellis was. I watched with amazement as he scaled it with ease. He dropped lightly onto the balcony and grinned at me, holding out his arms.

"Ta da."

I stared at him in shock. "What the frick are you doing here?" I hissed as he grabbed me and pulled me inside and out of the cold rain.

"You invited me," he said simply.

I shook my head. "I didn't think you'd actually come."

He shrugged and toed off his running shoes. "Well, I did." He unzipped his hoodie and dropped it on the chair by the window. He crawled into bed and patted the spot next to him. I stared at him, uncertain of what to do.

I rolled my eyes and crossed the room, turning out the overhead light and locking the door. No way did I want anyone walking in on us in the morning if we didn't wake up on time. I crawled into the big soft bed next to him while he set the alarm on his phone and set it on the nightstand. He held out one arm and I scooted over and snuggled up against him. He flipped through the channels and settled on _Casablanca_.

I sighed. "I love this movie."

"Me too." He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and we sat back to watch it. Before too long, I was fast asleep.

Edward's POV

She must be some kind of crazy to think I'd pass up an invite like that. I'd crawled up that trellis so many times sneaking in and out with Jasper over the years. Lucky for me she was in a room in the front so there was little chance the family would see me. Unlucky for me, the room was in the front so there was a pretty good chance neighbors or people driving by would see me in the morning as I left. I set my alarm for 6 am, before the sun was up. I'd get home and go back to sleep. I'd locked my bedroom door, too. Hopefully Mom wouldn't expect me downstairs before 9.

As soon as Bella was asleep, I flipped off the TV and leaned over her sleeping body to turn off the lamp. I scooted us down and pulled her closer to me. She sighed in her sleep and wrapped her body around mine.

Suddenly it all clicked. She was it. She was what I wanted. Maybe it had been clicking all along, but now it was REALLY clicking. The thought of one night away from her had been so fucking awful I'd hiked two blocks in the freezing cold rain and climbed up a fucking trellis to get to her. I tightened my grip on her. I wanted to do this right. After dragging it out for so long, I owed Bella that much.

I grinned into the darkness. Shit, I hoped this worked out.


	18. Chapter 18

Bella's POV

The alarm went off far too early. I groaned as Edward rolled away from me and turned it off.

"Do we have to get up?" I moaned against him.

"I do. I have to get back to my house before anyone else gets up."

I nodded. "See you later then. Keep warm."

I felt him press his lips against my forehead and heard the sound of him putting his shoes and hoodie back on. He carefully closed the door behind himself as he exited. I snuggled into the warm spot he left behind and went back to sleep.

I woke up hours later to the smell of bacon cooking. I sat up and yawned, my stomach growling. I glanced at the clock and yelped. It was 11 am.

I jumped out of bed and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail as I headed downstairs.

Cassie looked up with a smile. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she teased. "You're up before Jasper."

I grinned. "College is tiring. It's nice to get to sleep in."

She chuckled. "Well, I made a small breakfast since we're eating a big dinner at 4. The Armstrongs and the Cullens will be here at 3, so that gives you a few hours to relax."

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked, grabbing a piece of bacon and sliding it into a biscuit with some scrambled egg.

"I saved you the pumpkin pie. Everything is pulled out; you just need to do it."

I grinned. "Cool, let me just eat and wash up and I'll get to it."

I worked in the kitchen with Cassie for the next few hours. We laughed and talked, catching up on what she'd missed in my family since she'd last seen us a couple years earlier. I was leaning against the counter mixing the ingredients to make Mom's famous mashed potatoes when the front door opened and we heard voices.

"Hello, the Cullens are here," called a woman's voice.

I looked up at the clock with surprise. It was already 2:45. I stood up and hastily straightened my shirt, frantically wishing I was wearing a bra.

"You're early," Cassie grinned as a tall elegant gorgeous woman entered. She had caramel colored hair swept back in an elegant French twist and was wearing a chic black dress with a strand of pearls and expensive looking black heels.

She smiled. "Oh, we were just too excited. It's been a while since we've all gotten together with the kids." She hugged Cassie, ignoring the fact that Cassie had flour on her hands. Cassie was careful, though and pulled away and motioned to me.

"This is my niece, Bella Swan. She's the new roommate. Bella, this is Esme Cullen, Edward's mom."

I suddenly felt shy and frumpy. "Hi," I said embarrassed. "I usually don't look like this, but I started helping as soon as I got up and haven't changed yet."

Esme laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, that's fine. Edward wasn't out of bed until about noon. Carlisle had to practically drag him out to get him up even then."

"Hey now," Edward protested as he came in. "I told you I planned on sleeping late." He grinned at Cassie and gave her a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm very well and you?"

"Can't complain." He winked at me when no one else was looking. I blushed. He looked amazing. He was wearing a dark suit with a brilliant blue shirt and a white satin tie.

"I'm gonna go change real fast," I said suddenly. "I feel really underdressed."

Cassie laughed. "Knock on Jasper's door and make sure he knows to get up."

I nodded and headed upstairs.

Edward's POV

Bella looked so fucking cute when we walked into the kitchen and caught her off guard. She was still in her pajamas and had smudges of flour on her face. She quickly excused herself and hurried upstairs to get dressed.

As soon as she disappeared upstairs, the Armstrongs arrived. Alice and Jane looked amazing as usual and their mom was smoking, just like I remembered. I grinned at her and winked at Alice who gave me a look.

Jasper stumbled downstairs to say hi to everyone a few minutes later before heading back upstairs to get showered and dressed.

The men settled in the living room to watch football while the women worked on getting dinner on the table. I loosened my tie some and tried to focus, but it was hard knowing Bella was somewhere in the house, probably naked. I had to shift in my seat a couple times when the image of her naked body kept flashing in front of my eyes.

The women were chattering away in the kitchen when Jasper finally joined us, dropping onto the couch next to me.

"Who's winning?"

I shrugged. "To be honest I don't even know whose playing."

He grinned. "You've got it so bad."

I elbowed him in the side. Before I could come up with a good reply, Bella interrupted us.

"Dinner's ready," she announced sweetly. I turned and felt a huge smile cross my face. She looked gorgeous. She'd pulled her hair back in a loose bun and was wearing something sparkly on her eyes and had on some kind of lip stuff that made her lips look incredibly kissable.

The dress looked great on her, too. It had a wide neckline that barely hugged her shoulders and showed off her collarbone. It was fitted down to her waist and then flared out, ending just above her knees. Very ladylike, all the way down to the tiny little blue shoes with pink dots all over them.

I stood up and grinned at her. "You look beautiful."

She flushed. "Thanks. You look very handsome yourself."

My grin widened and I offered her my arm. She took it, turning pinker, and I escorted her into the dining room, the dads and Jasper behind us. Jasper was snickering and I would have given him the finger behind my back if our dads weren't there.

The women were all gathered in the dining room, standing behind their chairs. I was between my dad and Bella and on the other side of her was my mom with all the Armstrongs and Jasper across from us. There was a buffet table set up under the big windows looking out over the back yard that was groaning under the weight of all the food.

Once we were all in place, Carl gave the blessing. It was long winded and I reached over and squeezed Bella's hand discretely. She grinned at the floor and squeezed back.

We dug in and gorged ourselves on the turkey and stuffing and potatoes and everything. It was all awesome. I wondered absentmindedly if Bella learned to cook from Cassie. Once we were all stuffed to capacity, Cassie stood up and gestured for Alice and Mom to follow her into the kitchen. Bella made to stand to join them but Mom shooed her down.

"You sit," she smiled. "You were up helping cook all afternoon."

"I don't mind," Bella smiled. She and Mom had been talking all through the meal and it seemed like they were pretty good friends now. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. A little relief mixed in with nerves.

A couple minutes later, the three of them reappeared from the kitchen, carrying pie and a small chocolate cake with candles in it.

"Frick," I heard Bella whisper under her breath as her face pinked up.

"Happy Birthday Bella," sang Cassie, setting the cake down in front of her triumphantly. "You didn't think we'd really forget, did you?"

She forced a smile. "I wouldn't have minded."

I stared at her then at Jasper, whose huge grin made me want to kick his teeth in. I fucking hated being caught off guard like this.

Bella's face was smiling, but her hands were fisted in her lap as everyone sang Happy Birthday to her. She hated this.

They served the pie and cake, what there was of it, and we all dug in. I snuck bites of cake off Bella's plate since I didn't get any. She finally sighed and rolled her eyes, pushing it over to me. I grinned and polished it off.

After everything was done, Jasper and I stood up automatically and began gathering up plates.

"What are you doing?" asked Mom with surprise.

"Oh, uh…Bella does all the cooking, so we're used to doing all the cleaning," Jasper explained. "Force of habit." He shrugged and we kept working. Mom and Cassie stared at Bella with shock.

"Ok," said Cassie with a laugh "you've got to show me what you did to get them to do that."

"It wasn't me," laughed Bella. "Alice is a slave driver."

Alice grinned. "I told them they don't get to eat if they don't clean. And they love Bella's cooking."

Bella pushed back and started gathering up dishes with us. None of the protests would make her sit down.

"But it's your birthday," pointed out Cassie.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Then I should get to do whatever I want, right?"

Cassie couldn't argue with that. I turned away to hide my grin. That's my girl.

With everyone helping (the dads all felt guilted into helping) the table was soon cleared, the leftovers put away, and the dishes washed and dried. Cassie refused to let us put them away; saying she'd do that tomorrow while everyone was out shopping. She shooed us into the living room to watch the rest of the game.

Bella followed and kicked off her shoes, sighing contentedly as she curled up on the couch. Alice and Jane were there, too, talking quietly. Dad looked over at Bella and me on the couch and grinned at me, winking. I gave him a look and he looked away, chuckling.

It seemed way too early, but we all stood up to go around 9. As we were shrugging into our coats, I overhead Alice making plans to pick up Bella at 4 am so they could hit the good sales. I raised my eyebrows.

"So when are you ladies going to sleep?" I teased, tugging on Alice's scarf.

She grinned up at me. "Well, I guess we can sleep when you do. You're going with us."

I opened my mouth to protest but Bella gave me a pleading look and I sighed. "So I should be ready at the ass crack of dawn, too?"

She nodded triumphantly. "We'll pick you up right after we get Bella."

I rolled my eyes and turned to give Cassie a hug goodbye. "Thanks for dinner, it was great," I smiled down at her.

She beamed up at me. "I always enjoy cooking for my boys."

I grinned and turned and pulled Bella into a hug. "I'll be over as soon as I can," I breathed into her ear. She shivered and nodded.

We headed out, waving our goodbyes. Mom had a basket full of leftovers sitting on the back seat next to me. It smelled awesome but I was so full.

"So Bella's nice," Mom said as we unloaded everything in the kitchen. Dad was watching something on TV up in their room.

I nodded. "Yep."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "Edward, there's obviously something between you two. I could see it all through dinner."

I turned away from her to put another container in the fridge.

"Listen to me, son. You've got to make a decision here. You can't keep leading her on like you have been. She obviously likes you as more than a friends and it's not fair to her what you're doing. You need to either put up or shut up."

I sighed. "You think I don't know that?"

She patted my cheek. "I know you'll do the right thing. You always do."

I rolled my eyes and headed upstairs. I paused and looked down at her. "I'm going shopping with the girls and probably Jasper early. I'm not sure when we'll be back."

"That's fine. We'll see you whenever. Have a good time."

I nodded and headed back up the stairs, a plan formulating in my head.

***

Tali: Before you all freak out on me and point out that Bella's birthday is in September, I know. I changed it. It's my universe, I can do whatever the frak I want. Plus, this works out better for my plans.


	19. Chapter 19

Bella's POV

I unlocked the balcony door before heading into the bathroom to get ready for bed. I was brushing my teeth when I heard the door click shut. I poked my head out and grinned. Edward was sitting on the chair by the door untying his shoes. He looked up at me and frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" he demanded as I wiped my face and switched off the light.

I shrugged. "It's not that big a deal. Big whoop, I'm 19 now."

He made a face at me and crawled into bed. "Well, Happy Birthday anyway."

I grinned. "Thanks." I frowned, suddenly spotting the backpack on the floor by the chair. "What's that?"

"Well, I figure since we're leaving at the ass crack of dawn I might as well just shower and dress here and leave with everyone." He flipped through the TV channels. "That way I don't have to get up earlier for the charade."

I rolled my eyes at him but my heart was pounding. Sharing a bathroom with him was going to be a new experience. At least I was neat. And a quick showerer. "We should probably get to sleep since we have to get up before 4 to be ready."

He groaned but nodded. "You're so smart for a teenager."

I punched him lightly in the stomach as he flipped off the TV and scooted down and wrapped his arms around me.

The alarm on his phone blared at 3. I groaned and rolled away from him. "I get the shower first," I mumbled, heading into the bathroom. He nodded and rolled back over.

I showered and shaved quickly, wrapping towels around myself as I left the water running. The pipes in this old house made a lot of noise and I was pretty sure even Cassie and Carl would be able to count three showers and be confused.

I shook Edward's shoulders lightly. "Go get in the shower. I left the water running so no one will get suspicious."

He nodded and dragged himself into the bathroom. I dressed quickly, pulling on a warm sweater and some jeans and comfortable shoes. I was towel drying my hair when he came out, a towel slung low on his hips, showing off that tantalizing V I so adored on men. My hands faltered. I hadn't seen him in this state of undress before.

"Forgot my clothes," he said sheepishly, grabbing his backpack and disappearing back into the bathroom.

I stared at the closed door then looked at my reflection in the mirror. "Damn," I whispered. I shook myself and twisted my hair up into the customary bun and gathered my things together. He came out then and pulled on his shoes and hoodie, shrugging into his coat as we headed quietly down the stairs.

Jasper was waiting for us in the foyer looking half asleep. He didn't seem too surprised to see Edward sneaking down from my room. He just nodded and turned towards the door.

"We should wait outside," he yawned. "The cold will help wake us up."

I pulled on my coat and followed the boys. I shivered as the air hit my damp head and moved closer to Edward. He automatically wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my head. We all stood in silence for a couple minutes before Alice pulled up in a large SUV. She waved at us, a huge grin on her face. We all piled in, Edward, Jane and I in the back while Jasper got shotgun.

Jane smiled at me. "So, are you ready? Alice has got a full day planned for you."

I rolled my eyes. "Just keep in mind my limited funds," I warned Alice.

She laughed. "There are sales, baby!"

I grunted my reply and settled back in the seat.

Alice kept up a running commentary the entire 20 minute drive into Chicago about where we were going and what the plans for the day were. We were eating at some German restaurant for lunch after hitting what sounded like every store at some mall.

We parked and unloaded at a mall and headed inside. Alice gave the guys permission to go elsewhere with strict instructions to keep their cell phones audible at all times, then dragged me into a store full of denim.

"You need new jeans," she announced, grabbing a cart. It felt like only seconds later I was shoved into a changing room with Jane as we both tried on the endless pairs of jeans and sweaters and tops that Alice tossed over the top of the door. Jane and Alice, I realized suddenly, were identical twins, so whatever Jane fit into, Alice would. It made shopping for the two of them a lot easier.

We finally exited, each with an armful of clothing, and checked out. Alice dragged me to the next store where I was loaded up with more clothes and shoved into another dressing room.

After three stores, my hands hurt from all the bags. Alice pulled out her cell phone and called the guys. Their part of the trip had finally come about.

I looked up at Edward annoyed. "I just want to go to a bookstore or something but she keeps throwing clothes at me."

He laughed. "Maybe we can sneak away after lunch. I know a bookstore you're going to love."

I grinned. "That'd be awesome."

"No secret plans," ordered Alice. "We've got one more stop before lunch, then you can do all the secret planning you want."

I sighed and turned back around obediently. "Where to, mistress."

She grinned. "Victoria's Secret."

I felt like my head was going to explode. "You know very well I don't need that stuff."

She rolled her eyes. "They've got more than teddies. You need new regular lingerie."

I sighed. She was right. I followed along behind her, waving at the boys as they took up an entire bench each with all of our bags.

Alice shoved several bras at me and sent me into the changing room while she gathered up panties. I found some that fit that I liked and was heading out to check out when she stopped me and held up a negligee. It was red satin and very simple. I loved it.

"What?" I demanded.

"For you," she smiled innocently.

I sighed and took it. I wouldn't be able to argue her down. Plus, she knew all my sizes now so I'd probably end up finding it in my closet at home anyway.

She tossed a couple of bottles of lotion on the pile and leaned against the counter. "After lunch we'll hit the electronic stores for the boys so they can get some DVD's and CD's and shit."

I nodded and yawned. I was tired. I frowned when I saw some panties there were definitely not my style. I had one or two pairs of sexy type of panties at home, but I did NOT do thongs and I distinctly saw a couple in the pile. I gave Alice a look and she sighed, digging them out.

"You're no fun."

I rolled my eyes and paid, heading out to the boys with my purchases.

The restaurant was great, but the heavy food and hours of shopping were taking their toll. We headed to an electronics type store for the guys. I was relieved to see it was next to a bookstore and headed that direction while the others headed inside the electronics store.

I stopped and breathed in the scent of books, relaxing a little. I grabbed a basket and started piling books in it as I found interesting ones. There wasn't a very good bookstore in Decatur and I'd read everything I brought with me, so it was definitely time for some new stuff.

"There you are."

I looked up at Edward and grinned. "Find anything interesting next door?"

"Yeah, I bought a few things." He held up a bag. "I also found a shop next to this one you might be interested in."

I quirked my head. "What is it?"

"Pay up and I'll take you."

I grinned and headed to the front of the store. "So what'd you get?"

He pulled a couple CD's out and showed them to me as well as a couple of DVDs and a portable DVD player. We were in line so long he ended up tossing a few books into my basket.

I shifted the basket to the other hand, wishing I'd grabbed a buggy. Edward reached over and took it.

"Where are the others?" I asked with a yawn.

"They're still next door. Jasper's filled practically two buggies with all the shit he's buying. Dude is like a woman when it comes to electronics. He got a new TV for their room and a stereo for his car plus a laptop and portable DVD player."

I raised my eyebrows. "Hey big spender."

He chuckled and set our basket on the counter. Before I could stop him, he'd swiped his credit card through for payment. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Most of those are my books," I pointed out.

He shrugged. "You've already spent lots today. Consider it a late birthday present."

I rolled my eyes at him and took the canvas tote full of books and slung it over my shoulder before he could grab it. "Ok, where's this store I'm going to love?"

He grinned and led me through the crowds, his hand reassuringly on my back. Once we were out of the store, we headed down the walkway a little then stopped in front of heaven.

I gasped when I saw the caramel and chocolate covered apples in the window. I could see display cases in the back full of fudge and the walls were lined with displays of different types of chocolate candies.

"Holy cow," I breathed. I looked up at him. "I could kiss you." I surged forward into the candy store and immediately picked out an apple and a bag of chocolate covered pretzels and one of chocolate covered grapes and bags of other various assorted goodies. I spent more in there than I should have, but I was so excited. The fudge shop in Decatur didn't have this type of stuff that made me want to cry with happiness.

When I exited the store, Edward was waiting patiently for me on the bench, a big grin on his face. "So, find anything interesting?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes and held up the bag. "Oh, a couple things." I settled on the bench next to him and dug out the chocolate covered grapes. "Open." I ordered. He complied and I popped a grape in his mouth. He bit down and his eyes widened.

"Fuck that's good."

"I also got you an apple." I dug through the bag and pulled out a white box and handed it over.

"Wow. Thanks. I'll have to get help eating it; this thing is diabetes on a stick."

I grinned. "Great, huh? Have you heard from the others?"

"Yeah, they're ready when we are. We're to meet them at the car."

I nodded. "Alright, then let's go. You need to spend some time with your parents this evening since we're leaving tomorrow."

He nodded and followed me out of the store. The parking lot was jam packed, but we found the car easily and managed to stuff our purchases and ourselves in. I handed around the bag of chocolate malt balls for everyone to share as we drove.

We dropped off Edward first. He pulled a couple of bags out of the back, waving as he trotted up the stairs and inside the house.

Dropping me and Jasper off was another story. We had fully half of what was left. I groaned as I thought about the trip home tomorrow. I staggered upstairs under the weight of my bags and collapsed on the bed exhausted.

Edward's POV

"You've got to help me with something," I said to Jasper as we left Bella to Alice's clutches.

He raised his eyebrows at me. "What?"

"I need a good birthday present for Bella. You didn't tell me it was yesterday, asshat."

He rolled his eyes. "It's not like I remembered myself."

"Whatever. So what should I get her?"

He shrugged and yawned. "Hell if I know. She's a girl, maybe jewelry?"

I nodded. "I like it. Come on."

I dragged him down to a jewelry store on the next level. I studied the stuff in the window before going in. I suddenly realized I wasn't sure if she had pierced ears. She never wore earrings. A necklace would probably be better.

I studied the jewelry inside the store. It was relatively empty compared to the rest of the mall. A woman with an eager to please smile walked up to me.

"Can I help you?" she asked pleasantly.

"Yeah, what's the birthstone for November?"

"Yellow topaz. We have a nice selection of topaz jewelry over here." She led me down the counter to a display case full of yellow gems. I studied them for a moment in silence then stabbed the glass with my finger.

"That one," I pointed to a necklace that was a circle of the stones with a matching set of drop earrings. If she didn't have pierced ears, she could just wear the necklace.

She smiled. "You'd like to see them?"

"No, I'd like to buy them," I said, feeling somewhat annoyed.

Her smile broadened. That probably meant they were expensive, but I didn't care. I handed over my card and paid the extra fee for the lifetime warranty before shoving the small bag in my coat pocket and turning to Jasper. My jaw dropped when I saw him bent over the engagement rings.

"So, finally going to make an honest woman out of her I see," I grinned, clapping him on the back.

He turned red. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it for a while. I'm sneaking over to talk to her dad tomorrow before we leave."

My grin widened. This was going to be awesome. "Need help?"

He shook his head and pointed to a ring with a pretty octagonal stone on a gold band. "Simple but elegant. That's how the lady described it and that's what Mom told me I should look for."

I nodded and studied the rings myself while Jasper paid. None of these rings were really Bella, I decided. When I proposed I'd need something different. I could see an antique silver band with some engravings on it and a beautiful diamond on her finger. She was the vintage ring type of girl.

I froze and looked around, panicked as though someone might have read my thoughts. Shit…I'd never even thought marriage before and here I was mentally picking out a ring for a girl I wasn't even dating. I mentally shook myself as Jasper and I wandered out of the store and over to the food court to get something to drink.

"So what about you and Bella?" he asked as we sat down at a table with large sodas.

I sighed. "Everyone keeps asking that. Shit. I'm working on it, ok? Just…lay off."

"Seriously? Awesome! Do you know what you're going to do?"

I shrugged and took a pull on my soda. "Not really. Are you ok with me dating her? You're not going to kill me, right?"

"No, just know that I'm the closest thing she's got to a brother so I'll take that role on."

I grinned at him. "No problem."

We had just finished up our drinks when the girls called, needing assistance. We met up with them on the way to Victoria's Secret. I half wanted to follow in and help pick stuff out, but Alice gave us a look that clearly said we were not allowed. We sat down and talked aimlessly for a while.

Bella came out with a frown on her face that relaxed when she saw us. "Alice tried to get me to buy thongs. If I was worried about panty lines I just wouldn't wear panties," she fumed, sitting down next to me.

Yeah, 'cause that was an image I wanted in my head: my girl going commando. I grinned at her. "You'll get no complaints from me either way."

She rolled her eyes and took an armful of bags as we headed to lunch.

After wandering around the bookstore and waiting for her outside the candy store, I was more eager than ever for the weekend to end. I wasn't sure how I was going to do it, but I was going to ask Bella on a date. A kick ass date. That whole comment about kissing me just for showing her the candy store was almost enough to make me do it then, but I wanted to do things right.

"Mom, I'm home," I called as I entered the house.

"We're in the living room," she called. I headed in and dropped onto the couch next to her. "You get anything?"

"No clothes but I got some books and electronic stuff."

She rolled her eyes. "You should probably replace some of your clothing you know."

I laughed. "Everything still fits and there are no holes so they're fine."

"So how was the shopping?"

I filled her in on some of the details, even showing her the jewelry I got for Bella, but leaving out the engagement rings, my imagined and Jasper's actual.

"They're beautiful," she smiled. "She's going to love them. When are you going to give them to her?"

I shrugged. "Maybe tomorrow after we get home. I kind of want to do it in private. She's pretty shy."

Mom nodded. "Yeah, Cassie didn't seem to notice the poor girl wanted to curl up in a ball and die yesterday."

I hung out with my parents pretty late, finally heading to my room around 11 under the pretense of needing to pack. I quickly brushed my teeth and changed into my sleep pants and a t-shirt, pulling on my hoodie and heading out.

The door was unlocked and my backpack was sitting neatly on the chair. Bella was already asleep in the bed so I quickly toed off my shoes and lost the hoodie before sliding into bed next to her. It didn't escape my notice that the bags of clothing and books were still piled up by the desk. The candy was probably downstairs in the fridge to keep it from melting.

She sighed as she wrapped her arms around my waist. "I thought you forgot," she mumbled.

"Never." I pressed a kiss to her head and let myself drift off.


	20. Chapter 20

Bella's POV

I didn't wake up this time when Edward's alarm went off. I'd be seeing him again in a few hours, so I was content to stay in the bed until I absolutely had to get up. My own alarm was set for 8, so it was just two hours away.

I didn't sleep very much the last two hours, finally just crawling out of bed a little before 8 and dragging myself to the shower. I stood under the hot water until I was pruny, then climbed out and got dressed. I groaned when I spotted the pile of purchases from the day before. My suitcase had been jammed on the way here, no way was it all fitting in there to go home.

As I was standing there trying to figure out what to do I heard a soft tap on my door. I opened it and smiled at Cassie.

"Hi!" she said brightly, breezing past me into the room. "I thought I might come up and offer my packing services."

I smiled. "That'd be great, except it's not going to fit in my bag." I waved my hands at the things to show her. She frowned.

"Well, let me go get a suitcase and you can just bring it back at Christmas when you come." She bustled out the door and I started unloading the bags onto the bed and refolding the clothes. I flushed when I saw some of the underwear and the negligees Alice had somehow snuck into my Victoria's Secret pile and hastily stuffed them into my suitcase. I'd die of mortification if Cassie saw them, because she'd most likely tell Mom.

"Here we go," Cassie reappeared with a suitcase big enough to fit me in it. She quickly started transferring the piles of clothes into it.

My black coat I'd brought from home in Texas was ok, but Alice had insisted I needed other ones and had picked out a red wool pea coat and a gorgeous white wool coat and hats and gloves and scarves for me. The coats being the bulkier items, I left them on their hangers and in the plastic bags from the store.

The jeans, sweaters, and tops were carefully refolded and piled into the giant suitcase. I was shocked to see several bags with shoe boxes. Cassie just put the boxes in and proceeded to put the books I'd purchased around them. The suitcase was definitely full then. The dresses Alice had insisted I buy were left in their bags like the coats and everything was laid out, ready for me to load up.

She and I each grabbed an armload and hauled it downstairs. Jasper was sitting at the table in the kitchen eating some eggs and bacon. He looked up with surprise. "Damn, Bella, did you leave anything behind?" he teased.

Cassie smacked the back of his head. "Language," she chided him.

I grinned. She would have a heart attack if she heard how they talked around the house in Decatur. "Your wonderful girlfriend snuck things into my purchases I didn't even know about," I rolled my eyes and plopped down next to him, stealing his plate. I'd been up for a couple hours now and was starving.

He rolled his eyes. "She does that. You gotta keep an eye on her. What extras did you find?"

I sighed. "Some goodies from Victoria's Secret and shoes. LOTS of shoes. I think I bought them so she can wear them."

He laughed. "Sounds like her."

We ate in companionable silence while Cassie bustled around the kitchen putting together a giant basket of leftovers for us. We then brought down the rest of my stuff and all of Jasper's. I headed back upstairs to strip my bed and bring down my dirty towels and do one last check of my room to make sure nothing was being left behind. Luckily there wasn't anything so I headed back downstairs with my arms full of dirty linens.

I deposited them in the laundry room then went to sit with Carl and Cassie in the living room while we waited for noon when all three families were meeting up at some restaurant for a farewell lunch. Jasper had taken the car to fill it with gas so we'd be ready to go straight from the restaurant. I was both looking forward to and dreading the trip home. I had a weird feeling that things were going to be different between Edward and me.

Edward's POV

I couldn't sleep when I got home so I headed downstairs and made myself breakfast and watched cartoons until I heard Mom and Dad moving around. I went back up and quickly showered and dressed, stuffing everything back in my suitcase before taking it downstairs. I paused in the hallway and looked in at the piano. It probably hadn't been played in months since Mom quit giving lessons. Instruments needed to be played.

I set my suitcase down and went in and sat down on the familiar bench. I lightly rested my fingers on the keys before playing. I stumbled my way through _Fantaisie Impromptu_, much to my annoyance. Not playing for months, or even a full year, definitely made me rusty. I may have to make friends at Bella's school so I could use their practice rooms.

I tried something else and totally fucked up _The Flight of the Bumblebee_. My fingers just weren't up to anything complicated, so I switched over to _Fur Elise_ and finally managed to play something decently.

"You're out of practice."

I jumped and looked up. Mom was standing in the doorway with a grin on her face. "You should come home more and play. I miss hearing you." She crossed the room and sat next to me. "Can you play _Serenade_ anymore?"

I frowned and started hesitantly before my memory kicked in and I managed to make my way through it. She named a few other pieces I was able to pick my way through. Mostly, I was frustrated by my clumsy fingers. She patted my leg. "Don't forget we're having lunch with everyone at 1," she called as she left the room.

I nodded and went on to the _Moonlight Sonata._ Surely I could play that.

After a couple of hours, my fingers were finally remembering the songs and I was able to get through most of them without too many errors. Anyone else wouldn't hear them, but they'd drive me crazy. At least I'd be home in a few weeks and could practice more then.

I followed Mom and Dad out to the car, running my hands along the sleek lines of Dad's Jag. I fucking loved this car. I was hoping someday they'd sell it to me, but Dad was pretty attached to it himself. I loaded my suitcase in the trunk and climbed in the backseat.

Dad carefully maneuvered the car out of the driveway and headed down the street. I grinned when we pulled up in front of La Majada. I loved this place. I hadn't had their stuffed avocadoes in ages. I climbed out and my grin widened when I saw Bella's car a couple slots down.

Jasper was leaning in the back, trying to stuff Alice's mountain of suitcases in. I grabbed my own bag and headed over to see how I could help.

"Shit, Alice," I heard Jasper mutter. "You could have left something for other people."

"Where's the fun in that?" she laughed. "I needed these things."

I rolled my eyes. Sure she did. "Sorry to add to the issues, but don't forget I've got a bag, too." I held it up and Jasper sighed.

"You may end up sitting on it. Alice doesn't understand moderation."

Alice punched him in the arm. "I do too. Just not so much when there's a sale."

"We can put this in the back with us," I laughed. "It's not like we need much leg room, plus it's only a 3 hour drive."

I opened the back door and settled my suitcase on the floor behind Alice's seat. There'd be more room there than behind Jasper's seat. I grinned when I saw the backseat already had a large picnic basket in it. Bella would have to sit closer.

I helped Jasper get the car loaded while Alice and my parents headed inside where the others were already waiting.

"So how'd the talk go this morning?" I asked in a low voice.

Jasper sighed. "Ok. I thought I'd shit my pants, but he was pretty cool about it all. Said it was about damn time and that he hoped one of us would have a job before we got married and definitely before we had kids."

I nodded. "That's cool. Not too unreasonable, either."

"No, that's what scared the shit out of me."

I laughed. "So when are you going to do it?"

"I figured I'd take her out to dinner and do it tonight before I lose my nerve."

I grinned. "Well, good luck." I clapped him on the back as we headed inside.

He nodded and took his seat at the table next to Alice. I saw a seat had been left for me between my dad and Bella, like yesterday. In fact, everyone was pretty much in their same order as yesterday.

"Get everything in?" Bella asked with a laugh as I settled myself in the seat.

I rolled my eyes. "Just barely. Why you women pack so much is beyond me."

"Hey," she protested. "I didn't realize I was buying half the stuff Alice picked out for me."

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of her water while we waited for the waitress to come get my and Jasper's drink orders. She gave me an annoyed look when I put it back down.

"What?"

"That's mine."

"So? You can have mine when it comes. You don't have cooties do you? I gave mine up for Lent and it stuck."

She laughed. "You would remember that. I ordered you water, but Alice stole it for Jasper because she forgot to get him one."

"Really?" I was surprised she'd ordered me anything.

"Of course. I didn't want you drinking my water," she said pointedly.

I grinned and took another drink before handing over to her. She stuck her tongue out at me but took a drink anyway.

Lunch was nice enough. The adults seemed fairly pleased with our behavior over the past few days so there was little chiding or instructions being passed around. The moms weren't ready to let us go but the dads seemed ready to get back to their peaceful weekends. We loaded up amid lots of hugs and kisses and demands for phone calls. They were quick since the temperature was dropping quickly and the sky was darkening. A storm was coming and we wanted to get home before it hit.

We piled in, Bella practically in my lap there was so much shit in the backseat. I wrapped my arm around her waist and we waved goodbye as Jasper carefully pulled out onto the road.

It was a quiet trip. Bella actually managed to stay awake for all of it. We talked about plans for the next couple weeks and for that evening.

"I figured you and I haven't been out on a real date in a while," said Jasper nonchalantly. "Wanna go out tonight Alice?"

She grinned. "I'd love to but are you up to it?"

He rolled his eyes. "I think I can manage one night with you." He looked at me in the rearview mirror. "Are you two going to be ok by yourselves?" he teased.

I gave him the finger. "We'll be fine, asshole. We've got leftovers and movies."

"And homework," sighed Bella. "I still have a couple little things to finish up by Monday. Shouldn't take me more than a couple hours, though."

"So put it off until tomorrow," shrugged Alice.

"I might. I'm definitely not in the school mindset right now."

"Great, we'll eat all the leftovers and watch the movies I bought."

"What'd you get anyway?" asked Alice.

"_Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, A Fish Named Wanda, _the _Indiana Jones Trilogy, _a Bogart collection_, _and a couple others."

She groaned. "All lame guy comedies."

"Hey," protested Bella. "I introduced him to some of those."

Alice laughed. "That's because you like guy movies."

"I like girl movies, too."

"Yeah yeah, you're a well-fucking-rounded individual."

Bella grinned and settled against me. "I'll watch any of those with you. They're fantastic."

I grinned at Jasper and winked at him.

Bella's POV

I yawned and stretched as I climbed out of the car. After being in such a confined area for so long, I felt like an accordion. Edward tickled my ribs and I laughed, reaching out and slapping his arm.

"Enough you two!" scolded Alice. "We have a shit-ton of shit to unload."

I rolled my eyes and headed to the back of the car to get an armload of stuff. We quickly unloaded the car, barely making it before the rain started. I carried the food basket into the kitchen while Alice and Jasper carried her things upstairs. Edward carried his suitcase up, too but quickly rejoined me downstairs, followed by Jasper. Jasper shook his head as he gathered another armload and started back up.

"Want me to take some of your stuff up?" asked Edward, coming in and grabbing a beer out of the fridge.

"I'll get it, but will you put the leftovers away?"

"No problem." He grinned at me and took over emptying the basket while I headed into the living room to grab my stuff. I sighed and grabbed the smaller suitcase and an armful of the clothes in bags.

I staggered down the hall to my room and awkwardly hung up the bags and laid the suitcase on the bed. I turned and headed back downstairs for the rest of it. I was met on the stairs by Edward, carrying all of it. My eyes widened.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm bringing the rest of your stuff up," he said patiently.

"Why?"

He laughed. "Because there's no way you could get this suitcase by yourself. Plus, I have a secret to tell you."

I rolled my eyes and led the way back upstairs. Once in my room, he dropped the big suitcase on my bed and handed me the hanging clothes. While I hung them in the closet, he shut the door to the hall.

"Jasper's going to propose tonight," he whispered excitedly.

I turned to him. "Shut up…seriously?" I whispered back.

He nodded. "I was there when he picked the ring yesterday. He talked to her dad this morning."

I sat on the desk chair slowly. "Wow."

He nodded and grinned. "So, maybe you can suggest something really nice for Alice to wear, like get her to think she's guilting him into a really fancy date."

I grinned. "I'm on it."

I stood up and headed for their room. I knocked on the door that was mostly open. "Hey Alice," I said casually, walking in and sitting down on the edge of the bed.

She looked up and smiled. "Hey. Why aren't you putting your stuff away?"

"Well, I've been thinking. Since Jasper pointed out that you two haven't been on a date in a while, I think you should make it a really fancy one, get all dressed up and whatnot."

She laughed. "Oh, I'm not sure he'll go for that."

I shrugged. "So? He probably expects sex. Make him work for it. Wear that hot green sweater dress you bought with those black heels you almost killed me with in August."

She laughed again. "You think he'll be ok with that?"

"Yeah. He loves seeing you dressed up. Most guys do, they just don't want to admit it."

She nodded. "Ok, I'll try it." She crossed the room and stood at the head of the stairs. "Jasper!" she hollered. "We're dressing up for tonight!"

"Ok, fine!" Jasper hollered back.

I grinned and sauntered back to my room, pleased with myself. Edward was pawing through my suitcases, making piles for me. I rolled my eyes and snatched a pair of sheer black panties out of his hands.

"Those are mine," I grumbled.

He grinned. "I like them. Care to model them for me?"

My face turned bright red. "No. You wanna model them for _me_?"

He laughed. "I think I'd stretch them out, but sure if you want."

I made a face. "No thanks, I don't think my delicate psyche could stand that."

He laughed and rummaged through my closet for empty hangers. While he hung stuff up for me, I took summer clothes off of hangers and handed him those empties, folding up the summer stuff and storing it in my suitcases. Edward brushed up against my back as he came over to hang up the clothes. Our relationship was so comfortable now it was a little disappointing there wasn't more there. I sighed and moved away from him. The weekend in Chicago only served to shove in my face what I didn't have with him.

I shoved the new underwear in my dresser drawer, along with the negligees I hoped Edward didn't see. It was embarrassing enough to have them, I didn't want him to see them.

"You ok?"

I pasted a smile on. "Yeah, fine."

"We're heading out!" Jasper shouted. "See you later! Behave!" I heard their laughter as they headed out the door.

I rolled my eyes and headed downstairs with Edward close behind me.

"Something's wrong."

I scowled. "Nothing," I repeated. "Let it go."

"What if I don't want to?"

"What if I don't want to talk?" I whirled around and glared at him. He faltered on the step. "I just want to eat and lose myself in some movie and then go to bed and sleep. Is that alright?"

He stared at me with surprise. "What the fuck, Bella?"

I turned away from him and stalked into the kitchen. I didn't really want to admit to myself that my sudden foul mood was jealousy. I pulled containers out of the fridge and served up two servings of everything, putting the first plate in the microwave while I put the containers away.

"Bella, you need to talk to me."

"No I don't." I set the heated food on the table and pointed at it. He sat down with a sigh and poked at it.

I sat across from him when mine was heated and ate, not really tasting anything. I stood up and took our empty plates to the sink to wash them. He got up quietly and disappeared. I stared down at the sink while it filled with soapy water and felt like crying.

"Maybe this will cheer you up." I turned to see Edward standing in the doorway with a blue velvet box. I stared at it then looked up at him.

"What is that?"

"Your birthday present."

"I thought the books were my birthday present."

"I bought this first."

I stared at the box then at his face. "I don't think I can accept it."

"You haven't even seen it."

I sighed and reached for the box. He handed it over and I opened it carefully. I gasped when I saw the delicate silver chain and the topaz pendant and earrings. "Edward…"

"Stop. Just say thank you."

I looked up at him. "Thank you."

He pulled me into a hug. "I hope whatever I did that pissed you off you'll give me a chance to fix. Can I finish the dishes while you start a movie?"

I sighed and nodded. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and released me. I headed downstairs to put a DVD in. I settled back on the couch in one corner, the blue velvet box on the coffee table. Edward came down the stairs as the previews were starting.


	21. Chapter 21

December

Edward's POV

Something pissed Bella off and I couldn't figure out what. She avoided me the rest of the evening and went to bed before me, locking the door behind her. I stared at it in shock for a moment before heading upstairs to sleep in my bed. Alone.

Jasper and Alice were back really late. I was still awake and heard them come in but they were trying to be quiet so I rolled over and pretended not to hear them.

I thought maybe things would be better in the morning, but Bella was still in a foul mood. She was making breakfast when I came into the kitchen.

"Can I help?" I asked, sliding into a chair.

"No," she retorted shortly.

I raised my eyebrows but didn't say anything. At least she'd accepted my gift. I'd seen it on her dresser when I came down.

"Good morning," called Alice cheerfully.

I turned and grinned as she came in, left hand leading the way. Bella squealed and threw her arms around Alice.

"Congratulations! I want details!"

Alice laughed and hopped up on the counter, proceeding to launch into the details. I didn't really care to hear them, so I gave her a hug and headed out of the kitchen. Jasper was setting up the pool table. I clapped him on the shoulder.

"Congratulations," I smiled at him. He grinned up at me.

"You're my best man, you know. So you're in on all this shit for however long it takes."

I laughed. "Yeah, ok."

"Breakfast," Bella called. We deserted the pool table and headed in to eat breakfast.

Alice distracted Bella for most of the day with wedding plans. Jane was obviously the maid of honor, but Bella was a bridesmaid.

I finished up my homework and played some videogames with Jasper while the girls were otherwise engaged. They did a grocery run and then Bella retreated to her room to do some homework.

At bedtime, I headed upstairs. Her door was ajar, so I knocked on it lightly.

"Come in," she called tiredly.

I poked my head in. "Truce?"

She looked so sad and tired I wanted to scoop her up and hug the shit out of her until it was all better. "Yeah fine."

"Ready to talk?"

"No."

"Will you talk anyway?"

She scowled at me. Then she rolled her eyes and shoved her books onto the floor beside her. "Fine."

I sat down at the foot of the bed and looked at her expectantly.

"I'm angry. You've been treating me poorly." Poorly? Who used that word? "It's not fair to me that you flirt with me and sleep with me and buy me gifts and yet you won't admit that there's something more between us."

I sat quietly. "You're right. I'm sorry. There's something more between us than just friendship."

She looked up at me quickly. Apparently she hadn't expected that. "So…what does that mean now?"

I ran my fingers through my hair. "I didn't really want to do it this way, but you're forcing my hand." She stared at me confused. "Would you like to go to dinner tomorrow?"

"Dinner," she repeated.

I nodded. "Dinner. Like a date."

Her eyes widened. "Dinner."

I grinned. "Dinner."

"Really?"

"Really."

"One of us should probably say something the other won't repeat."

"You could start with 'Edward, I'd love to go to dinner with you.'"

"Edward, I'd love to go to dinner with you," she repeated obediently, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. She chewed on her lower lip and looked nervous suddenly. "You want to sleep here tonight?"

I grinned. "Fuck yeah." I changed quickly and crawled into bed, pulling her close to me again. Only one night away and I missed this. Tonight, I gave her a kiss on the mouth.

Bella's POV

He did it. He FINALLY DID IT! I wanted to dance and sing and shout to everyone that Edward Cullen had finally asked me out. I wasn't sure what exactly it meant, but the good night kiss had definitely dampened my panties.

I snuggled against him and sighed contentedly, beyond happy. Beyond ecstatic even. He dragged his fingertips up and down my arm lightly, sending goosebumps up and down my body. I shivered slightly and he pulled me closer, sliding one of his legs between mine and pressing up against me gently but firmly. I instinctively ground against his leg and then flushed. He'd feel the wet, I was sure.

He chuckled softly against my hair but didn't say anything. He rubbed against me more and I could feel him poking me in the stomach. I was glad the lights were out so he didn't see my red face.

He slid a hand up my shirt and splayed it across my bare back. I sighed softly and lifted my face to his. He kissed me again, his tongue lightly exploring my mouth before it was my turn to explore his mouth with my tongue. It was like a dream come true, everything I'd been wanting since August coming to fruition. Well, almost everything.

I pulled back and looked at him. "Edward, what are we now?"

He grinned and smoothed my hair. "A couple."

"A real couple or a pseudo-couple?"

He laughed. "A real couple, Mike."

I grinned, not caring he'd just compared me to an insecure nervous wreck. "Just making sure." I leaned back to kiss him, rolling him on his back and lying on his chest. I could do this forever, I decided, and die happily at the end of it. His arms wrapped around me securely and he held me firmly against his chest. His hands slid down my sides to cup my butt and pull me against him slowly at first. His erection was still poking my stomach and it frustrated me that it wasn't where it belonged, but I was too nervous and scared to say anything. He seemed to be enjoying himself as it was so I let it go. He groaned softly against my mouth and sped up his movements for a bit before he suddenly stopped. His body tensed and I waited for the liquid heat against my stomach but nothing happened.

"Edward?" I asked uncertainly.

He held up a finger, his eyes closed and his face screwed up in concentration. I waited until his eyes opened and he smiled at me. "Yes?"

"What was that?"

"That was me refusing to cum all over you. I've got some decency, you know." He gave me that crooked smile that made me melt a little more.

"Oh."

He kissed me again and rolled me onto the bed next to him and turned so he was facing me. "The first time will be done right, not all over your stomach like a horny 15 year old."

I laughed softly and smoothed his hair back from his face. "Well, thanks for that, I suppose. That's one experience I can definitely live without."

He chuckled and pulled me against him. "Go to sleep. You've got a lot going on tomorrow."

"Yes sir," I grinned against his chest.


	22. Chapter 22

Bella's POV

Waking up the next morning in Edward's arms and knowing he wanted me made everything seem so much better. He was still sleeping so I snuggled up closer to him, nuzzling my face against his chest. His arms tightened around me and he kissed the top of my head.

"Morning."

I looked up at him and smiled. "Morning. You sleep ok?"

He grinned and moved one hand to stroke my hair. "I slept fantastically." He grinned and kissed me lightly. "What time is your first class this morning?"

"Ten. Yours?"

"They're all reviews and online. I'm home until about 11, then I've got work until 5." He stroked my hair, a sly grin crossing his face. "So you're mine until what, 9?"

I frowned. "I guess. Why?"

He rolled over on top of me, pinning me to the mattress and kissing me like we'd kissed in September. He wrapped his hand around my knee and lifted it, hooking it over his hip. He ground against me, his erection pressing hard between my legs. I wrapped my other leg around his waist and pressed back. He groaned softly and slid one hand up under my top.

"Edward," I breathed softly against his mouth. His hand gently massaged my breast and he pressed against me a little harder, making it difficult for me to remember what I had been about to say.

He kissed along my jaw and down my neck. I twisted my fingers in his hair, panting now as the need started to build up in my stomach. His hand slipped down from my breast, across my belly and under the waistband of my pants. I sucked in my breath when his hand slid between my legs. I started to giggle and he pulled back, looking at me with surprise.

I blushed. "I'm ticklish."

He grinned. "Oh, you shouldn't have mentioned that. I'm gonna have fun with that knowledge." He moved his hand against me and I started laughing uncontrollably. I instinctively grabbed his hand and pulled it away. He grinned and leaned down, kissing me again.

He ground against me again, harder, moaning softly into my mouth. My hips jerked towards his instinctively and I was suddenly aware of how much clothing we were wearing: too much.

Edward seemed to realize this at the same time as he sat back slightly and pulled his t-shirt off, dropping it on the floor next to the bed. I stared at his chest unabashedly before he came back down and kissed me again. His hands pulled me up slightly and relieved me of my top.

I shivered slightly as the cooler air of the room hit my warm skin. He grinned and pulled me close to his body, kissing my neck and shoulder.

"Edward," I managed again. "The others might hear us."

"We'll be quiet," he murmured, his mouth trailing down to my breasts.

I closed my eyes, focusing on his mouth and hands and just the general feeling of _him_. I wasn't sure entirely how he did it, but a few minutes later, we were both completely naked and my legs were wrapped around his waist as he ground against me, not entering yet. I felt like there was something I should tell him, but his mouth and fingers were doing amazing things to my body that forced all coherent thoughts out of my brain.

It all came rushing back, though, when he plunged into me and I felt like I'd just been kicked in the stomach. I gripped his shoulders and gasped, my entire body going rigid.

"Shit…Bella?"

I shook my head, my eyes squeezed shut as my body slowly adjusted to this intrusion. A few traitorous tears leaked out as I struggled to catch my breath. Everything hurt. He was still, his hands moving up to my face.

"Bella, talk to me. Take a breath."

I did so, shuddering as the pain in my stomach lessened somewhat. I looked at him and he looked terrified.

"Bella?"

"Edward," I finally managed.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "So I didn't kill you."

I shook my head. "No. I probably should have told you I was a virgin."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that would have been good information to have." He studied my face. "We don't have to finish this."

I laughed shakily. "Might as well, right? We're already here, the worst is past, right?"

He looked doubtful so I reached my hands down and grabbed his hips and started pushing and pulling on them clumsily. He grinned at me and kissed me lightly, moving carefully against me.

"Let me, I know what I'm doing."

Thankfully, he didn't last too long and a minute or so later he collapsed on the bed, careful not to crush me under him. I awkwardly stroked his hair as he curled his body around me. He finally sat up and pulled me with him so I was sitting on his lap. It was strange, he wasn't inside me anymore but it felt like he was.

"You ok?" he asked, his green eyes searching my face.

"I'm fine," I assured him. "I just didn't expect it to be so…sudden."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm an ass, that's all. I'll do better next time, I promise."

I blushed. "So there will be a next time?"

He grinned. "Fuck yeah." He pulled me closer and kissed me.

After some making out, I carefully disentangled myself from him and pulled on my robe, heading down to the bathroom to shower. I was quick, grimacing when I saw blood in the water. Stupid virginity. I hadn't expected losing it to be quite like this, but at least it was with someone I cared about. Maybe someone I even loved. I wasn't going to dwell on that, though. I'd finally gotten him to admit there was more and now we were an "us", whatever that meant. I grinned stupidly at myself in the mirror as I finished washing my face.

I opened the door and Alice was standing there. I smiled.

"Morning," I greeted her, moving to pass her. She grabbed my arm and stared at me, her eyes going wide.

"Oh my god you totally had sex."

My eyes widened. "What?"

"You did," she practically squealed. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the bathroom. "Ok, I want details. Who, when, where, most importantly, how was it?"

I sighed. "Alice, come on. I've got to get ready for school."

"You don't have to be anywhere until 10. It's only 8. Spill."

I gave in and sat gingerly on the edge of the tub while she perched on the toilet. I paused a moment, gathering my thoughts. It had just happened half an hour ago for crying out loud. I wasn't even sure I really knew what all had happened.

"Well, first of all, it was Edward."

Alice screeched excitedly, a sound that reverberated in the tiny bathroom loudly. I clapped a hand over her mouth and gave her a look. Her eyes were dancing with excitement as she licked my palm. I grunted with disgust and wiped it on the side of her face.

"I knew it!" she was bouncing now. "When?"

"This morning."

Her eyes widened. "And you're in here talking to me?"

I gave her a pointed look. She rolled her eyes and motioned for me to keep dishing. Apparently her need for details was more important than my getting back to Edward.

"You know we sleep together. Last night he admitted there was more and then this morning we were just kissing and then…sex happened."

She sighed. "So sweet. How did he say it last night?"

I frowned. "I called him on his being an ass the last couple of months and he agreed with me. We're having dinner tonight." My eyes widened. "Oh shit, I broke the first rule of dating."

She shook her head. "No you didn't you haven't been on a date yet."

I groaned. "So I'm _that_ kind of slut, the one who doesn't even go on a date and yet has sex with the guy?"

Alice laughed. "You're not a slut, Bella. You waited for his stupid ass to figure things out for like, three months. It's only natural you'd jump his bone first opportunity you had."

I sighed. I didn't really feel that much better about it.

"So, the big one. How was it?" she leaned forward, eyes shining.

I chewed on my lower lip. "It was…painful."

"Painful?" she frowned. Her eyes widened again. "Oh shit. Bella, were you a virgin?"

I nodded.

"Oh sweetie," she pulled me against her in an awkward hug. "It gets better, I promise."

I laughed. "Thanks. It's weird, I can still feel him inside me."

She grinned. "I love when that happens. Makes me feel like I've got a little part of Jasper with me all day long."

I made a face. "Ok, TMI."

She laughed. "So you're ok, then?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It hurt more than I thought, he didn't know so he wasn't as gentle as I think he would have been. I'm ok. I'll be better when I've done it a few more times and it doesn't leave me so sore."

She grinned at me. "Well, then go get him, tiger."

I grinned back at her and stood up. I opened the door and Edward was standing there, one hand raised to knock. He looked at my face with concern, then saw Alice behind me. His eyes flicked from one face to the next then he sighed.

"You told her."

"She guessed," I said defensively.

"Please. Girl can't keep a secret. It was written on her face. Plus she was walking funny."

"God, shoot me now," I muttered, pushing past them and heading to my room. I could hear laughter as they followed me.

"Shit, I just realized something," Alice groaned. "Emmett wins the bet."

I turned on her as I entered my room. "What bet?" I demanded.

She grinned. "Jasper, Emmett, and I had a bet as to when you two would finally hook up. Emmett had before finals, I had the week after and Jasper had the weeks between that and Christmas."

I stared at her in shock. "You were betting on my romantic life?"

She shrugged. "We get bored."

"So what was the bet?" asked Edward curiously as he sat on the bed next to me.

"Fifty bucks and the winner gets to make the losers do something embarrassing."

"What was your embarrassing thing?"

She grinned wickedly. "I was gonna have them sing _Let's Make Love_ at karaoke night."

I laughed at that. They were such close guy friends they would probably enjoy the weird looks they'd get from doing that. "That's something I wouldn't mind seeing," I admitted.

"Tell you what," grinned Edward. "You help us keep this just ours for a little while and we'll go public in a big way in time for you to win."

Alice grinned. "Deal."

She stood up and winked at me. "I'm going to go get in the shower so I can study today while you're all doing your own thing. Play safe kids," she sang as she exited the room. My face flamed up and Edward laughed.

We sat in comfortable silence on the bed for a moment before it hit me.

"Oh my god, we didn't play safe." I looked up at him slightly panicked. "Edward, I'm not on the pill or anything."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

I huffed. "Would I lie about that?"

He shrugged. "I'm not really that worried about it, Bells. You due for your period in the next couple of days, right?"

I stared at him, horrified he knew my cycle. "Yes."

He shrugged. "So we should be ok." He leaned over and kissed me. "Come on, just lay back and rest a bit with me before we have to take on the world." He pulled me back beside him on the bed. I curled into his chest and sighed softly. This I could get used to.

Edward's POV

Shit. I devirginized Bella. I hadn't intended to do that. I thought that had already happened or I would have been different with her. While she was in the shower I changed the sheets on her bed and took the stained ones upstairs to my room. I'd take care of them later when the others were out.

She snuggled against me on the bed, wearing nothing but her robe. I ran my fingers up and down her back, enjoying the feeling of her against me, until she fell asleep. I reached past her and grabbed my cell phone off the night stand. She needed to get up and get dressed in about half an hour, but I'd let her sleep until then. I had a date to plan.

At 9, I gently shook her awake. She groaned softly before rolling away from me and stumbling over to her dresser. She pulled out some underwear and pulled it on under the robe. I grinned at her sudden modesty. She turned around and shot me a look.

"Out. I have to get dressed."

"I can help with that," I offered. "I'm really good with zippers and buttons."

She rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I think your idea of helping involves the clothes coming off, not on. Now go."

I pouted, but pulled myself up out of the warmth of the bed and left, depositing a kiss on her nose as I passed.

I spent the rest of the morning planning out the date. I figured dinner wasn't enough, since I'd now done more to her than I'd anticipated. I grinned and thought of a way to make a bad situation better.

Bella was home when I got there around 6. The house reeked of something awful that I recognized from Jasper's childhood: stuffed cabbage. I had an iron stomach and could and did eat just about anything, but something about stuffed cabbage made me want to yak. Bella was sitting in the living room, reading through some of her class notes.

"You ready for tonight?" I asked with a grin.

She looked up at me and smiled. "Sure am. What are we doing?"

I grinned at her. "You just go get dressed. Wear warm layers."

She gave me a strange look but obeyed. Alice passed her on the stairs and looked at me, her eyebrows raised.

"So what am I supposed to tell the others?"

I grinned. "It's covered. Emmett's working close at the store and Jasper's got the late shift at the restaurant. They won't be home until late."

She nodded. "Shrewd, Cullen. So where are you taking her?"

I filled her in on my plans and she raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure about that?"

"I am," I said confidently.

"You are what?" asked Bella as she came down the stairs.

I grinned up at her. "Dating the most beautiful girl I know."

Alice made a gagging noise behind me. Bella rolled her eyes, but still grinned.

"You two have fun," Alice called as we headed out to my car.

Bella chuckled as she buckled herself in. "So what's the plan."

"Food and then a bit of a drive."

"What kind of food and a drive to where?"

I laughed. "I'm thinking drive through burgers, fries and shakes."

"And the drive?"

I was quiet for a beat. "We're going star gazing."

I waited for her reaction. Her breath hitched a bit but then returned to normal. "So you're taking a bad situation and making it better."

I grinned. "That's the hope."

She reached over in the darkness of the car and squeezed my hand. "Thanks, Edward."

***

"Was that a shooting star?"

"No, I think that's a plane."

"Are you sure? It's moving kind of fast."

"Not fast enough and it's blinking."

"Oh."

We lay in silence for a while. I reached over and took Bella's hand, twining my fingers in hers and raising her hand to my lips and kissing it. She rolled her head over and smiled at me.

"Thank you for making this a good date and for reestablishing my faith in men."

I laughed. "You're welcome. Thanks for coming."

We looked back up at the stars. I noticed after a minute that Bella was shivering. I mentally cursed myself for not noticing how cold she likely was. I rolled off the hood of the car and walked around the front, scooping Bella up and depositing her in the car.

"It's cold," I explained as she laughingly protested. "That means it's time to go home."

She grinned up at me. "Yes sir."

Since everyone else already knew we were sleeping in the same bed, we didn't attempt to hide it. I was interested in sex again, but Bella looked exhausted so I let her change into pajamas in private while I changed and got ready for bed myself. I came back down the stairs and nodded to Jasper who was exiting their bathroom on his way to bed. He raised a hand in greeting as I ducked into Bella's room.

She was already curled up in bed, half asleep. I grinned and crawled in next to her, kissing her lightly as I pulled her against me. Best first date I'd ever been on.

***

Tali: I know, you were probably expecting more out of the date. Hopefully you weren't too terribly disappointed. Stargazing was something I did with my dad and in my head, it's just about the perfect date. He and I would take sandwiches and hot chocolate and go spend a couple hours watching shooting stars and finding constellations. I had a couple of guys want to take me "stargazing" in college, so that's the reason James did earlier. So, to me, this was a pretty great first date.


	23. Chapter 23

Tali: Ok, so sorry to creep people out with the period thing. Edward knows Bella's cycle because 1. They live together and that kind of thing is generally something your roommates know, even opposite sex roommates and 2. They've been sleeping together for months now and I'm thinking he would have figured it out. Simple as that.

Bella's POV

I rolled over and squawked in surprise when I bumped into Edward. He sat up, bleary eyed.

"What, what's wrong?" he slurred sleepily.

"I forgot you were here," I muttered sheepishly. He chuckled softly and pulled me against him, kissing the top of my head. I sighed, and snuggled against him. Why I'd forgotten, I had no idea. We'd spent practically every night together for the last three months. I could hear rain on the windows and it definitely made things cozy. I lay there in the dark, listening to him breathing and the rain on the windows and started to feel really…awful. I was hot, I realized.

I pushed away from him and kicked the covers off. I was wearing a camisole and flannel pants, so I crawled out of bed and pulled my pants off. It helped some, but I still felt lousy. I headed to the bathroom to pee, leaning over and resting my cheek on the sink while I sat. The cold porcelain felt good against my hot skin.

I shuffled back to my room and crawled back into bed. Edward rolled over and pulled me closer to him. I lay there for a moment, then pushed him away again. Now my throat hurt. I stood up to go get a drink of water and Edward sighed.

"What's wrong? Is this some kind of first night jitters or something? I'm just trying to hold you for fuck's sake."

"I don't feel good," I grumbled back at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm hot and my throat hurts." I leaned my head against the door. Suddenly the thought of walking all the way downstairs, or even down the hall to the bathroom, seemed daunting. "And my whole body hurts."

"You think you might be coming down with something?"

I groaned and shuffled back towards the bed. I threw myself across the foot of the bed and groaned again. "I can't be getting sick. I have reviews the next two days and then I have to study and then I've got finals. This is not a good time to be sick. I'm probably just tired."

Edward reached down and grabbed me, pulling me up to the top of the bed next to him. "Shit, Bella, you're burning up. I think you've got a fever." I scowled into the darkness.

He sighed and pulled the blankets over me and then twitched the quilt off, leaving just a sheet on me. He lay back down next to me and started to stroke my hair. "I'm a pretty damn good nursemaid," he said softly. "I'll bring you whatever the fuck you want."

"Even my homework?" I asked hoarsely. The longer I was awake, the worse I felt and the more pronounced my symptoms seemed to become.

He laughed softly and pressed a kiss against my shoulder. "If you insist, yes. Though I'd prefer you didn't. You need to rest."

I made a face into the darkness. "I've only got three more classes over the next two days. I'm going if I have to crawl."

"Fine, but I'm driving you."

I could only grunt in response. The hair stroking was crazy comforting and I finally drifted off to sleep.

Morning came way too early. It was still raining and I felt even worse. I pulled on a sweater and a pair of jeans and pulled my dirty hair back into a ponytail. Edward was still asleep so I shook his foot to wake him up. He sat up, bleary eyed.

"I'm off to my class," I rasped. "I'll be back in a couple hours."

"Want me to drive you?" he asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"No, I'm just letting you know I'll be back later. Are you working today?"

"Yeah, this afternoon from 1 to 9."

I nodded. "Ok, then I'll see you before you go to work."

I waved at him and headed out the door. I grabbed my back pack off the couch and headed outside to my car. Luckily, it started up and I was on my way. I envied everyone else getting the morning off. So many senior classes had their reviews online. I was the only unfortunate freshman in the house. Even Emmett's class reviews were online and he was technically still a junior. Maybe I'd chosen the wrong college.

The parking lot was relatively empty, so I parked in the paid parking near the building and dragged myself inside. I was early, so I sat down on the floor next to the classroom and leaned my head back against the wall.

"Are you in this class?"

I groaned inwardly. Would I be freaking sitting here if I wasn't? I opened my eyes and rolled my head to see a chubby blond girl standing next to me looking nervous. I licked my chapped lips and nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh good, I was afraid I was late." She settled herself down next to me and smiled. "I'm Patty."

"Bella," I grunted.

"So what's your major?"

I bit back a sigh. I really was not in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone a strange girl who was chatty. "I'm looking at Journalism. I like to write."

"Oh cool, are you on the paper?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm just a freshman. I'm trying to get through the first year before throwing on extra stuff like that."

She nodded. "I'm an English major. I want to be a teacher."

I smiled and closed my eyes, hoping she'd get the hint that I wasn't interested in talking. She didn't.

"I just love kids," she said excitedly. "I'm so excited about molding minds, you know?"

Was this girl for real? She kept talking until I saw the professor coming down the hall. I pushed myself to my feet and looked up at him expectantly. He grinned at me as he unlocked the door. Patty and I followed him into the room and sat down. Somehow, she managed to keep up a steady stream of chatter.

Over the next fifteen minutes, a couple more students trickled in, but attendance was definitely thin. Dr. Lewis checked the clock and precisely at 8 am, he locked the door, just like he always did. He turned to those of us sitting there and his face darkened.

"So, no one could be bothered to show up for the last class." He sounded angry. I sat up, wiping my face in case I was drooling or had snot dripping out of my nose. That would be beyond humiliating. "You know, it's not like I wouldn't have much preferred to stay home in bed with my wife this morning." We shifted in our seats uncomfortably. He flipped open a book on his desk angrily and pulled out a sheet of paper. He handed it to me. "Put your name down," he ordered.

I hastily scrawled my name and passed it to Patty, who was sitting next to me. She wrote her name and passed it on. We all watched expectantly, our notebooks and textbooks open on our desks. He didn't say a word, just sat and typed something furiously on his laptop. My head was throbbing, so I lay it down on the desk, thankful that Patty's whispered chatter would keep me awake.

When the last student had signed the attendance sheet, he took it up to Dr. Lewis nervously. Dr. Lewis didn't even look up, so the guy sat down. We sat quietly while Dr. Lewis typed some more. After about five minutes, he stood up and studied us. He walked around the front of his desk and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

"Everyone here today gets a 100 on the final. Go home and go back to bed. I'll see some of you next semester in other classes." He stood up and walked around his desk, gathering up his things and packing them into his bag.

We all sat there, stunned. Patty leaned over to me and whispered loudly, "Do you think he's serious? Cause I could really use a 100 on the final."

"I'm completely serious, get out."

I shrugged and stuffed my books back into my backpack. I dragged myself out of the classroom and across campus to my history professor's class. I was feeling worse and worse and hoped he'd be in a good mood and give me my review early.

When I got to his office, he was on the phone. He waved me in and gestured to the chair in front of his desk. I sat there for a moment before he finally hung up. He stared at me blankly for a minute and then smiled. "Bella Swan. How can I help you?"

"Yeah," I croaked. I grimaced. "I'm coming down with something. I think the flu. Is there any way I could get tomorrow's review now?"

"You look pretty awful," he said, studying me.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks."

He chuckled. "Yeah, hold on, I think I've got one in here." He rummaged through a pile on his desk and pulled out a few pages stapled together. He studied it for a moment, then handed it over. "Email me if you've got any questions. I hope you feel better."

I nodded my thanks and headed back across the sleety parking lot to the car. About twenty minutes later, I pulled into the driveway and dragged myself inside and upstairs. Everyone was still asleep, though I could hear stirring in Alice and Jasper's room.

I toed off my shoes and shimmied out of my jeans before crawling into bed next to Edward.

"You're cold," he murmured against my hair as he pulled me against him.

I sighed. "I'm still feverish, but I think I'm mostly dead instead of half dead now."

He chuckled softly. "Are you hungry?"

I shook my head. "No, just tired."

We lay in comfortable silence for a while before I finally drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up again, the rain had stopped and Edward was gone. I looked at the clock on my nightstand and saw that it was almost 1. Edward must have already left for work. I rolled out of bed and pulled my pajama pants back on and switched my sweater for my camisole. My hair was still in a ponytail, but it was significantly messier now. I felt lightheaded after standing so I curled back up in bed. I was exhausted, but I couldn't sleep. My head hurt too much. After a few minutes, I hauled myself out of bed and made my way downstairs.

Alice was sitting on the couch going over some notes when I came into the living room. She raised her eyebrows when she saw me. "Damn, you do look like death warmed over." I flipped her the bird as I made my way into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed back into the living room. I collapsed in one of the armchairs and looked at her.

"I feel bad," I said pathetically.

She laughed. "Awe, sweetie. I'm sorry. Can I get you anything? Chicken soup? Ice cream?"

I smiled and closed my eyes. "No thanks, I'm not hungry. Just tired and bleh."

"Why don't you go back upstairs? I can come check on you every once in a while."

"Yeah, probably a good idea. That way I don't infect anyone." I sat there for a while, then grunted and started towards the steps. I stopped on the bottom step and turned around. "Crap, I have the kids today."

"No, Edward took care of it. He called Anne and explained that you were sick and asked if he could fill in since today is just driving and dropping. I guess she said ok because he headed in to work early so he could take his break at 2:30 to get them."

I stared at her, my mouth open. "Seriously? Did I hear you right or am I hallucinating?"

She laughed. "Yeah, I heard the conversation myself. He had to steal your phone to do it. Seriously, I think he's in love with you."

I sighed. "Please, he's just being nice cause I'm sick and he feels sorry for me."

She rolled her eyes. "Bitch, he never did that for Rosalie. He'd hang out in the basement playing video games when she was sick, only going when she called him and made demands. He hated leaving you. Granted, some of that is the protective older brother thing, but I think it's more, too."

I leaned on the banister and smiled at her. "Really?"

"Yeah." She grinned up at me. "It's amazing how adorable you two are. I can't wait until you take it completely public."

I rolled my eyes and headed upstairs and back to bed.

Edward's POV

Bella was fast asleep when I finally crawled out of bed. She was still feverish and flushed. I headed upstairs to shower. My class for the day had been cancelled, so I was free to take care of her until work.

I saw my phone on my dresser and grinned. I should call Mom. I stretched out on the bed and punched in the number for the house. Mom answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom, it's me."

"Hi sweetheart! How was the trip home?"

"Fine. Jasper proposed to Alice Saturday night."

"Oh, that's wonderful! Have they made any plans yet?"

I shrugged and scratched my stomach. "No idea. Oh, but I'm the best man and Bella's a bridesmaid."

"That's nice." She was quiet for a moment. "So how's Bella?" she asked casually.

I rolled my eyes. "She's got the flu. All the cold weather and the stress and everything finally got to her and she woke up in the middle of the night last night with a fever."

"Poor thing. Are you taking care of her?"

"I'm trying. She's sleeping right now. I tried to get her to stay home but she went to her class this morning anyway."

"Determined little thing, huh." She chuckled.

I grinned. "I finally talked to her, too. We are officially a couple, as of Sunday night."

"Oh, congratulations! So what are her plans for Christmas? She should come stay with us."

"Whoa, chill out a sec, Mom,' I laughed. "It hasn't even been 48 hours yet. Can we breathe for a second?"

"Well it'll have been almost three weeks by the time you come for Christmas."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll talk to her, but her parents are in England you know, they might want to see her, too."

She sighed. "Well, you just make sure she knows that I want her to come here so your father and I can get to know her better."

"Will do." I checked my watch. "Listen, I've got a couple things to do before work, so I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok. Love you!"

"Love you too."

I flipped the phone closed and headed for the shower.

Once out, I trotted down the steps. I peeked in at Bella to make sure she was still asleep as I continued on to the first floor. Alice was spread across the living room studying.

"Having fun?" I asked casually as I dropped into a chair.

She gave me an eat-shit-and-die look. "Shithead. Where's Bella?"

"She's sick," I announced.

"Fuck, what'd you do to her?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing. She's got the flu."

She sat back. "Shitty timing."

"No joke."

"Does she know what she's going to do about the kids today?"

"Fuck, I don't know. She's too sick to deal with them. Do you think Anne would freak out if one of us took them?"

"What one of us?" she demanded. "I've got to get these review sessions ready. I've got a study session this afternoon in Champaign and Jasper and Emmett are both working."

I groaned. "Me, too." I ran my fingers through my hair, scowling. I sighed. "I've got an idea."

I headed back upstairs and moved quietly into Bella's room. She was breathing loudly, clearly congested now. I unplugged her cell phone and headed up to my room to make some calls.

It took some doing, but I finally managed to work something out with work and with Anne Bonner next door. Hillary had some kind of lesson today so I would just be hanging out with the little dude, Todd. She was emailing me all the information I needed.

I quickly dressed for work and headed downstairs. I stopped in and checked on Bella again. She was still sleeping. I sighed, wishing I didn't have to leave. I sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair lightly. She was still hot. It didn't look like the fever had broken yet.

I pressed a kiss against her forehead and went downstairs. "How much longer are you here for?" I asked Alice as I pulled on my coat.

"A couple more hours."

"Will you check on her before you go? She's still pretty feverish and she hasn't eaten or drunk anything today as far as I know."

She grinned up at me. "Aw, you like her."

I rolled my eyes. "Just check on her, ok?"

She laughed. "Will do, doc."

Ted grinned at me as I came in the door at work. "So, you must like this chick more than Rosalie."

I grinned back at him. "Fuck yeah. Imagine all the awesome stuff you like about girls and add in just a couple of the things you don't. That's Bella."

He grinned. "She got a sister?"

"Nope, one of a kind."

At 2:30, I headed out to pick up the kids. I parked in front and ran through the rain to the admin building. A plump redhead was standing behind the counter looking bored. Or at least she did until I came in. then she straightened up and smiled widely.

"Can I help you?" she asked, eye fucking the shit out of me.

"I'm here to pick up Hillary and Todd Bonner. Edward Cullen."

Her long pink nails clicked on the keyboard in front of her, her eyes barely leaving me. I was actually starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Ok, here it is." She picked up a map and circled two buildings. "These are their classes. Just go out the door and take a right. The buildings are numbered."

I smiled. "Thanks. Have a nice day."

"Oh, I will," she grinned. I could see from the reflection in the glass in the door that she leaned over the counter to check out my ass. I shuddered slightly as I headed out to get the kids.

Hillary looked pleasantly surprised to see me and Todd looked thrilled. He grinned up at me.

"Where's Bella?" he asked as he climbed into the backseat.

"She's sick, so I'm gonna hang out with you this afternoon until your mom gets home," I explained. "I hope that's ok."

"Yeah!" he said excitedly.

I dropped Hillary at a private home for her piano lesson, running in with her to make sure she was ok and in the right place. The teacher there eye fucked me, too. What the fuck? Women didn't check me out this much two weeks ago. Or maybe I just didn't notice it. Either way, it was starting to unnerve me. Did I have "good in bed" or something stamped on my forehead?

I pulled up in front of the house and stared at the Bonner's house for a beat. "Shit, I forgot to get the key."

I heard a little gasp behind me and I winced. I turned around. "Sorry, you didn't hear that, ok?"

He grinned. "Can I say it to my friends?"

"No, cause if your mom or their mom hears, you'll get in trouble. Wait until you're at least 15, ok?"

"Ok," he sighed. I grinned. In five years, both Bella and I would be long gone.

"Come on, we'll go inside for a minute while I get your house key out of Bella's purse."

"I get to go inside your house?" he looked up at our house with awe.

"Yep, come on." I opened the door and we headed in. I pointed to the couch. "Wait here, I'll be right back." He sat obediently, looking around the room with interest. I raced upstairs and tiptoed into Bella's room.  
She was wearing actual pajamas now and there was an empty water bottle on her nightstand. I dug through her purse and pulled out her key chain. I checked her temperature with the back of my hand before heading back downstairs.

Todd and I made our way across the soggy yards and into their house. The dog attacked us, desperate to get outside to pee. He came running back in shortly after, his tongue lolling and his tail wagging.

"You hungry?" I asked Todd, remembering that Bella always gave them a snack after school.

"Yeah. Can we have chocolate cake?"

I laughed. "I'm pretty sure your mom wouldn't like that."

He sighed, disappointed. "No, she doesn't like us eating lots of sugar."

"So…ok. I'll make you a deal. You don't repeat that word and we'll find some cookies for snack."

His eyes lit up and he stuck out his hand. "Deal."

Bella's POV

"Wake up, Rosy."

I frowned. "Rosy?" I coughed as I sat up. "What's that for?"

Edward grinned and held out a cup of something hot. "It's for all the blushing you do. Plus right now you're flushed from the fever, so your cheeks are pink."

"Oh," I coughed again and took a small sip from the mug. It didn't taste that great, but it did soothe my throat some. I looked up at him shyly through my eyelashes. "Alice told me what you did with the kids. Thanks."

He reached over and tucked a stray strand of hair of hair behind my ear. "Shit, Bella, you keep looking at me like that and I might just take you right here."

I laughed softly and handed back the mug so I could curl up in bed. "I wouldn't recommend it. On top of awkward sex, you'd get the flu."

"I could handle the awkward sex. I have a feeling it'll be like that with us for the first few times since you're new at it." My face got hotter, but I hoped that since I was already flushed it wouldn't show too much. "And I think my body could kick your body's germs' asses."

I rolled my eyes and sat up enough to flip my pillow over. I lay back against them. Whatever was in the mug was helping. He set the mug down on the nightstand and stretched out on top of the covers next to me.

"So are you still going to try to go to your classes tomorrow?"

I shook my head. "No, I got one review today and I was hoping you might get me the other one."

"No problem. Just tell me where to go."

I grinned. "Oh! I almost forgot! In my class today, hardly anyone showed up and Dr. Lewis was so pissed he gave everyone who showed up an automatic 100 on the final. So, that's one less final."

"Awesome. That still leaves a lot, though, doesn't it?"

"Well, that leaves math, history, econ, Spanish, and government, but I'm sure I'll do fine in Spanish and history. Math, econ and government, not so much. Those are the ones I need to study."

He played with a tendril of my hair. "I did pretty well in those. I can help you study this weekend. I took from Thursday until the end of finals week off."

I smiled up at him, careful not to be seductive in any way. At least not intentionally. He looked so great, lying on my bed. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a green sweater that molded perfectly to his chest and brought out the green in his eyes. Suddenly awkward flu sex didn't sound too bad. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead lightly.

"You're still pretty warm, sweet cheeks."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you going to just start trying random nicknames until one sticks?"

He laughed. "Yeah, why not?"

I smiled up at him, lowering my head slightly. Damn, whatever was in that mug was amazing. I was feeling much better, though still kind of heady. He made a throaty noise of frustration and leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the lips. I moved towards him to press my lips harder to his, keeping my mouth shut.

He pulled back. "Shit, you're going to kill me with those eyes, Bella."

I smiled up at him coyly. "Maybe I just want you to jump me."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Don't tempt me." He toyed with the strap of my camisole, sliding it up and down my shoulder. I quirked an eyebrow at him and he groaned. "This is so sick," he muttered, pulling me close to him as he rolled over on top of me.

His hands moved down under the waistband of my pants and when his hands made contact, I giggled against his lips. It quickly turned into coughing. I turned my head and coughed into the pillow. He started to pull away, but I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'm fine," I insisted, still coughing. He looked at me doubtfully. To prove my point, I used one hand to wriggle out of my pants and looked up at him expectantly. "That drink was a wonder drug of some kind I guess."

He groaned and used one hand to pull me back against him, the other snaking up under my top. I grinned when his hand made contact with my breast. He fondled it for a few moments, then sat back and pulled his shirt off over his head. He repositioned himself, going back to kissing me. "Open your lips, dammit," he growled, using one hand to fumble with the button and zipper on his jeans.

I grinned up at him and obeyed when he came back for another kiss. He was getting more and more worked up and it was kind of amusing. He tossed his pants on the floor and moved between my legs. I felt butterflies of anticipation in my stomach. I hoped it wouldn't hurt like yesterday, but I really didn't know. He suddenly looked so…big. I wondered how in the world that had fit inside me before and if it would again.

He started to move towards me and I felt the tip against me. He started to press forward when the door flew open and Jasper burst into the room. "You guys are not gonna believe…HOLY SHIT!"

Edward hissed angrily and grabbed the edge of the blanket, pulling it up over us. I grabbed a pillow and covered my face.

"What the FUCK?" demanded Jasper. "How the hell long has this been going on?"

"Could you leave, please? We're kind of in the middle of something."

"What's going on?" I could hear Emmett's voice behind Jasper. "Oh shit."

I was starting to hope everything was a very vivid hallucination brought about by the fever.

"Would you two perverts leave them in peace?" Now Alice was upstairs. She was on our side, but that didn't make this any less awkward.

Edward rolled on to his side on the side of me away from the door. This pulled the blanket over me, covering me completely from prying eyes. I curled into his chest, bringing my knees up to my chest carefully. He grabbed the pillow not covering my face and threw it at them. "Get the fuck out," he said, annoyed. I heard the door close, muffling their laughter somewhat. Alice was fussing at the guys, shooing them downstairs. I kept the pillow over my head until their laughs had died away.

I pulled it down and looked up at him. "Please tell me that was a hallucination," I pleaded.

He grinned. "Sorry, pretty girl, that was painfully real." I groaned and pressed my face against his bare chest. "It's kind of for the best that it happened, though. I don't have a condom."

I snickered softly, then started to cough. I rolled away from him and grabbed a tissue off my nightstand to cover my mouth.

Edward extracted his boxers from the tangle of his jeans and pulled them on, along with the undershirt twisted around his sweater. He wordlessly handed me my pants and I pulled them on. We sat on the edge of the bed next to each other in silence, only broken occasionally by my coughs. They were getting worse.

I realized after a bit that Edward was shaking. I looked at him with surprise and saw he was laughing.

"What…?"

"Did you see the look on Jasper's face?" he snorted. "Priceless…" he lay back across the bed, shaking it and me with his laughter. I rolled my eyes and stood up. I was starting to feel bad again and I wanted to pee before I crawled back into bed to die.

When I returned from the bathroom, Edward was gone. I moved towards the bed, but I felt a large warm hand wrap around my wrist. "Come on, you're going downstairs with us all to watch a movie or just generally be social. The cat's out of the bag now so we might as well just embrace the humiliation."

I groaned but let him lead me out of the room. The kitchen and living room were vacant and we could hear the TV downstairs. The basement was dark as we started down the steps, Edward leading me carefully so I didn't fall. My head was starting to throb again and I just wanted to lie down.

Edward settled himself on the couch and I curled up next to him, resting my head on his chest. Jasper and Emmett were staring at us curiously. I felt my face burning with embarrassment.

Alice sighed and stood up from her seat and flipped on the lights while Emmett paused the movie. There was silence for a moment, then Emmett spoke up.

"I totally win. Pay up bitches."

Jasper scowled, but leaned to the side to pull out his wallet. He retrieved a twenty and a five and passed them over to Emmett who grinned and stuffed them in his pocket. He looked up at Alice and held out his hand. She blew out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't have it right now but I get paid on Friday and I'll get you then."

He nodded and grinned. "And now for the embarrassing activity." Alice draped a blanket over me and sat down at the other end of the couch, tucking the blanket under my feet. She winked at me and squeezed my foot. "We're all going to go swing dancing." Emmett sat back, triumphant. Alice rolled her eyes and Jasper groaned.

"Dude, swing dancing?"

Edward was laughing now, his arm tightening around me. "You've got to wait until Bella is better so we can go," he managed. "There is no way I want to miss seeing you two sucking it up in public."

Alice reached over me and popped him on the back of the head. "If you'd just kept your dick to yourself like we agreed, then we'd be able to laugh at those two asses singing karaoke."

"Wait, you knew and didn't say anything?" Emmett was indignant. "What the hell? I thought we were in this together. We both agreed we didn't want to do whatever lame ass activity Jasper came up with."

"Hey, going to a midnight showing of Rocky Horror in drag is not lame."

I groaned then, imagining Emmett in fishnets and platform heels with a leather bustier.

"Knock it off," laughed Alice. "You're making the sick girl feel bad."

"Ok, but seriously," Jasper turned to me and Edward. "I feel that it is my duty as the only relative Bella has nearby to inform you that if you hurt her, I will personally rip your nads off and feed them to an angry dog. Or, you know, threaten to."

"I'll help him," volunteered Emmett. "I don't have a sister, but I claim Bella as one." I smiled at him.

"Awe, thanks Emmett," I rasped. "You're like a brother to me."

"Got it," said Edward. "But you should know I have no intention of doing anything to hurt her." I grinned at Jasper.

"So, ok…we want some details. When did all this shit go down?" Alice leaned forward expectantly. She already knew the details from me, so obviously she wanted to know when the switch flipped in Edward's head.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "It's been coming on gradually," he admitted. "I kind of realized it over Thanksgiving break when I was hanging out with you losers more than my own family. Mom noticed and basically told me I had to put up or shut up." He looked down at me affectionately. "So, I decided to put up. It was pretty easy since I knew that Bella felt the same way about me as I felt about her. She told me so a couple months back and I was just too chickenshit to do anything about it sooner."

Jasper snorted. "A blind man in Cambodia could have told you that."

Edward rolled his eyes. "So…now we're together. Any more questions?" he looked around the room. There was silence from the others. Obviously they all knew at this point we'd had sex, so that question didn't need to be answered.

Emmett shrugged. "Nope, I guess that's it. Let's start the movie again."

Alice turned the lights off and Emmett hit play and the action on the screen resumed. I had no idea what they were watching and I was feeling horrible again, so I cuddled up against Edward's side and went to sleep. It was still social if I was there, right?

Edward's POV

If not for Bella, I would have chased those fuckers down the hall and beat their asses. But she was beyond humiliated and there was no way I was going to just leave her. Plus I was bare ass naked and running with a hard on was not too pleasant. After I calmed down, though, I realized how funny it was. Not for her, obviously, but in general.

I carried her upstairs to bed and tucked her in. I was already in my sleeping clothes so I was in the process of crawling in beside her when my phone started ringing. I grabbed my pants and shook them, the phone clattering onto the hardwood floor. I grabbed it and pressed answer without checking to see who it was. Luckily, Bella slept through the whole commotion.

"Hello?" I said softly as I exited the room and headed to my own.

"Hi sweetheart, it's your mom."

"Oh, hey Mom," I said with surprise. "What's up?"

"I wanted to know if you had a chance to talk to Bella yet."

I rolled my eyes. "No, she's been asleep most of the day. I'll talk to her tomorrow, I promise."

She sighed. "Well, I hope she says yes."

"Geez, am I still welcome if she doesn't come or do I need to make back up plans?" I teased.

She laughed. "Oh, you're always welcome. Just don't forget to ask her."

"Alright. Anyway, I'm going to bed now. I had a long day. I'll talk to you later."

"Tomorrow."

I closed my eyes. "Tomorrow."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

I sighed as I crawled in bed next to Bella. Mom was not going to let this go anytime soon. I wasn't sure if I wanted to subject Bella to a Cullen family Christmas just yet. If I remembered correctly, both sets of my grandparents were going to be here this year. Introducing her to the Cullens wouldn't be too bad, but Grandma Riley could be brutal.

My mind was distracted when she took that moment to throw her leg around my waist and pull her hips against mine. Well, maybe it wouldn't be that bad. She'd have me after all.


	24. Chapter 24

Bella's POV

I spent the next day in bed, feeling worse than I had the day before. Edward called Anne in the morning and let her know I was still sick. She sent her regards and assured me through him that she and the kids would be fine while I recuperated. Edward went up to campus and got my last final review packet and spent the majority of the day sitting on my bed while I slept, doing his reviews online. He had a short shift that afternoon so he left around 11 with promises to be back by 3. I took that opportunity to take a long hot bath. Alice was up at the school doing some final review sessions and Emmett and Jasper were both at their own study group sessions.

The hot water felt good and helped relax my muscles, somewhat taking away the achiness. I was too tall to stretch out completely in the tub, but I sat with my legs up as long as I could stand it, then drained the tub and showered, washing my hair quickly. Standing was not something I was that great at anymore, apparently.

I climbed out and toweled off, pulling on clean pajamas and heading downstairs. I wasn't hungry, but I knew I needed to eat. I was standing on my toes, trying to get the can of chicken noodle soup at the back of the cabinet when I heard a knock at the door. I groaned and padded towards the front of the house. My jaw dropped when I saw Mike standing there.

I opened the door and stared at him. "Hi, Mike," I said awkwardly, suddenly extremely aware of the fact that I was wearing light summer pajamas and absolutely no underwear.

"I heard you were sick so I thought I'd stop by." He smiled at me hugely. I stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"Ok." I shifted to the side and waved him in to the house. He followed me and looked around like he hadn't seen it in a while. I headed into the kitchen to start my soup, my head throbbing. Relaxing effects of the bath were officially ruined.

He dropped into a seat at the table and watched me get the soup out of the cabinet and start heating it.

"So how've you been since…" his voice trailed off and he cleared his throat. Shit, he was STILL worked up about that?

"I've been fine. Went on a horrible date, played some putt-putt, watched the kids…the norm."

He nodded and studied me. "You look good."

I snorted and immediately regretted it as it induced a coughing fit. "Thanks."

He grinned. "You know what I mean. A lot of girls get really fat after a bad break up. I'm glad you didn't."

I bit my tongue. What we had was bad because he cried, not because I had any actual emotional attachment to him. I heard the front door open. I looked up and saw Edward coming through the door. He'd left his coat on the screened in porch and had a paper bag in his hand. He dropped his back pack on the floor and grinned at me.

"Feeling better, pretty girl?" he asked, coming into the kitchen. Before I could stop him, he leaned down and kissed me. I jerked back and he looked at me with confusion before realizing there was another person in the room. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Mike sitting there.

He had gone from friendly to near tears in about .05 seconds, or however long it took for the kiss to register in his brain. Edward calmly set the paper bag on the counter and turned to Mike. "How are you, Mike?"

I moved behind Edward, resting my forehead on his back. I wanted to see what was about to happen but at the same time felt some self preservation instinct telling me to run upstairs. It wasn't that I thought Mike was any kind of threat to Edward, I just didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.

"I came to see how Bella's doing. You said she had a new boyfriend but left out the detail that it was you. Were you two screwing around when she and I were together?"

I felt Edward flinch and I put my hand up on his back in a vain attempt to calm him down some. I honestly didn't get why Mike was pissing him off so much but he was. "It doesn't really matter does it? We weren't, not that it's any of your business."

Mike sat quietly, momentarily stunned. "You're sure? She wouldn't let me touch her, maybe because she was getting what she wanted from you."

Edward's hands clenched into fists and he was literally shaking with anger. I stepped back, stunned myself. "Bella never did anything with you because you're a prick, plain and simple. No woman in her right mind would want to do something with you."

"Edward," I said sharply. That was too far. The two turned to look at me, almost seeming surprised I was still there. "Mike, you're a sweet guy, just not the right guy for me."

He didn't seem to buy it. "Why not for you?" he demanded, standing up.

I wanted to kick him. "Because you're too needy," I sighed. "You move too quickly and you expect too much. You need to chill out with girls and just let it happen naturally. You'll be fine, you just weren't what I needed."

There was silence in the room and I seriously thought Mike was going to start crying again. He finally just pushed past Edward and me and stormed out of the house. I groaned and lowered myself into the seat he'd vacated.

"What the hell, Bella, giving him relationship advice?"

I glared at him. "There was no need for you to be such a dick, Edward. He's a sweet guy. TOO sweet at times, but sweet. He needs some guidance, that's all."

He scowled at me and turned to look at the soup on the stove. "I think your soup is done."

"I'm not hungry, dump it," I grumbled, stalking past him and heading upstairs.

I curled up in my bed, wishing I'd changed the sheets while I was feeling better. There was silence from the kitchen directly below me for a little while and then I heard footsteps in the hall.

"Bella?" I rolled over and looked at Edward miserably. He sighed and sat down on the bed next to me. "Sorry about all that. Sometimes I get jealous."

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself up into a sitting position. "Of Mike?"

He snorted. "I just…shit, did you almost have sex with him a couple times? Why would he be so upset that you're with me?"

I rubbed my temples. "We almost did once and I guess that's all it took for him to think there was something standing in our way. Why are you asking about that anyway? You knew I didn't have sex with him. Besides, his jealousy is much more understandable than his: you're a viable threat to relationships with the damn sex god hair and ridiculously gorgeous smile."

He grinned and started to rub my cold feet. "You're right, I shouldn't be jealous. And gorgeous smile?"

I nodded and leaned forward, hugging my knees to my chest. "Edward, what number am I?"

He looked at me with confusion. "What number?"

"Of girls you've had sex with." I waited a moment for my face to flare up, but surprisingly it didn't. "You kind of brought it up by asking about me and Mike."

He sighed. "Do we have to get into that?"

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. "That many, huh?" I asked quietly.

"Bella…" he didn't say anything.

"I want you to get tested."

He sat back, looking hurt. "You think I've got something?"

I shrugged and tucked my feet under the covers. "I don't know, but obviously there's been more than one other girl and I just want to make sure you don't give me anything."

He looked down at his hands as though he'd never seen them before. "I'm fine. We actually did blood tests in class a couple weeks ago."

I nodded and suddenly wanted to cry and have him wrap his arms around me, but I was afraid I'd really upset him. I felt a lump in my throat, which only made it hurt more. I swallowed against it and pressed my eyes against my knees to hide the tears that were forming.

We sat in uncomfortable silence for a while and I suddenly wished none of it had happened, that we were still best friends and nothing more. I didn't want to lose that and I was afraid that by asking him about his history I just had. I couldn't hold back a choked sob, though I tried to cover it with a cough. I heard Edward sigh and move to put his arms around me.

"I'm sorry, I'm just still in defensive mode from Mike." He stroked my still wet hair until I looked up at him. "I've been with two other girls besides you and Rosalie."

I nodded. My imagination had begun to run wild with his defensiveness and had conjured up numbers closer to a hundred.

"The first was my first, my girlfriend for two years in high school. The other was a girl I hooked up with last Spring Break, just a one night stand. Rosalie and I were on the outs and I wanted to get back at her. We both messed around on each other, her more than me, but still."

"So who's to say you won't mess around on me?" I asked. I managed to keep most emotion out of my voice, though my hurt still came through.

"I am," he said firmly. "I'm done with that shit. I'm messing around with my best friend." He grinned down at me and tweaked my nose. "I think we did it right, getting to know each other before moving on to sex."

I chuckled and leaned back against my pillow. "Yeah, but we never went on any real dates before sex. I'm the ultimate slut, sleeping with the guy _before_ the first date."

He laughed. "I'll take you on as many dates as you want; you just have to get better."

I smiled. "I'm trying, but when I get sick, I generally stay sick for a while. The worst will probably be past by this weekend, though."

He nodded and opened his mouth to say something when the doorbell rang. We looked at each other in surprise, then he kissed my forehead and headed downstairs. I was too tired to think about moving much, so I just curled up a little and reached for the TV remote. I flipped aimlessly through the channels before settling on _Iron Chef_. I loved this show. The theme ingredients were always so bizarre.

Edward came in a few minutes later laden down like a pack mule. He had his backpack on one shoulder and mine on the other, a steaming mug in one hand and a white paper bag in the other and the brown paper bag he'd brought in earlier in his teeth. He grinned at me as he handed me the mug and started setting everything down. I took a careful sip and recognized the liquid from the night before. He must have put the kettle on before coming upstairs after Mike left.

He pulled a white Styrofoam container out of the white paper bag and handed it to me. "Careful, it's hot."

I frowned as I took it. I grinned when I saw chicken noodle soup that looked homemade. There were large egg noodles and big chunks of chicken and carrot and peas. I inhaled the aroma, or what I could of it, and started to sip it carefully. Edward laughed at me and pulled a plastic spoon out of the bag.

"Did you order this from somewhere?" I asked, taking the spoon and scooping up a piece of chicken.

"No, that was Dr. Bonner at the door. He said the kids were really worried about you, so on the way home from school today they stopped at Betty's Diner and got you some soup and some brownies, because, and I quote 'Chocolate makes everything better.'"

I laughed. "That must have been Todd. He's a little chocoholic."

He chuckled. "Also, Dr. Bonner left you these." He held up a small bottle of pills. "He said they'll help you get through finals. One every 12 hours with food." He unscrewed the cap and carefully tapped out a pill. "Also, we're not to tell anyone he passed out prescription meds without seeing you."

I grinned and placed the pill under my tongue and washed it down with some of the broth. "I'm pretty good at keeping secrets. Unless, you know, someone walks in on me bare assed with my boyfriend."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm so getting them back for that." He took the soup from me and took a slurp of it before handing it back and grabbing the brown bag. "This is what I got." He dumped it out on the bed and handed me a box. "Luden's wild cherry cough drops. Those fuckers are awesome. TheraFlu, cause it helps, and condoms."

My face flared up then when I saw the black box. He'd gotten some kind of variety pack. He grinned when he saw my face. I hastily gulped the soup, scalding my tongue as I did so. I winced but I couldn't really complain since it was my own fault.

"I figure we should wait until you're really feeling better, then we'll break open the box." He scooted up to sit beside me on the bed on his side. He opened the nightstand drawer and dropped the box in, sliding the drawer shut and looking at me. I guess I must have still looked embarrassed because he burst out laughing. "Oh come on, it's not like I brought home vibrators or whips or something."

I felt like my head was going to explode. I carefully put the soup down on my nightstand and punched him in the arm. He laughed and grabbed my arms, pulling me against his chest and kissing the top of my head. I sighed and leaned on him for a second, then pulled away.

"As long as I'm as awake and feeling as well as I am I guess I should try to do some studying."

He nodded and handed me my backpack. I rummaged around in it and pulled out my history notes and review. He pulled his own books into his lap and we set to work. After about a half hour, he shook his head. "I need music," he muttered, getting up and leaving the room. I heard his footsteps upstairs as he moved around his room. A moment later he reappeared with his iPod and docking station. He squatted by the bed and plugged it in, setting it up on his nightstand. He scrolled through the list and settled on the classical music playlist I'd heard so many times before. I grinned as my favorite song came on, _Fantaisie Impromptu_.

"You know," I commented, "you still haven't played for me."

"Neither have you."

"Please, I could maybe play _Chopsticks_ or _Heart and Soul_. If you're really lucky I'll pick out _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_."

He laughed. "That's classical music you know."

I made a face at him and settled back with my history notes. I wanted to highlight everything that would be on the test to make it easier to go over it later.

"You know my parents have a baby grand," he said nonchalantly. "It's technically mine. They hoped I'd become some famous concert pianist, but there wasn't just a huge guarantee that would work out so I went pre-med."

I looked at him confused. The medication was making it hard enough to focus on the words on the paper, now he was throwing weird stuff out there. "What does your parents having a piano have to do with you being pre-med?"

"Nothing. Just…they have a piano."

I squinted at him, trying to figure out where he was going with that. "Um…ok." I shook my head and peered back at my notes. Had I really written that Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1963? I highlighted it anyway, hoping I'd remember on test day that Lincoln was dead by 1963.

Edward blew out an angry sigh and shoved his books away from himself. I looked up startled. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

I raised my eyebrows. "Is it that time of the month? Cause you're acting pretty pissy. Sudden mood swings and all that."

He rolled his eyes. "No, that was last week. This week I'm apparently back in high school." I waited for him to explain. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at me. I grinned when I saw he was nervous. "Would you be interested in coming home with me for part of Christmas? My mom wants to get to know you."

My jaw dropped. "Seriously? Why?"

"She wants to get to know the girls I date."

"You never took Rosalie home."

"Mom met her here once and never really felt the need to extend an invitation."

I felt a grin playing at the corners of my mouth. "So…she likes me then? I wondered."

He laughed. "Yeah, she thinks you're cute."

"So, does she swing then?" I asked with a giggle.

"God I hope not. And I don't want to know if she does." He shuddered. "Anyway, I called her to tell her that we were a couple and she insisted you come stay with us for Christmas if you don't have any other plans."

I frowned, tapping my paper absentmindedly with my highlighter. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. My mom mentioned something about me coming to London to visit over Winter Break, but she also said she and Dad may be going somewhere and that they might wait to fly me out over the summer."

"So…would you even be interested?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I mean, we've been a couple for like, two days. Isn't that a little…fast?"

He shrugged and toyed with a pencil. "I'm cool with it if you are. I mean, you've already met my parents and Jasper and his parents aren't far if it's just miserable."

I nodded. "True."

"You're supposed to say 'Oh no, I won't be miserable.'"

I grinned at him. "How do I know y'all don't do ritual sacrifices for Christmas or something?"

"Only every other year. This year is vandalism."

"Oh, well, yeah, I'm totally in."

He grinned at me. "So what do I tell her when she calls tonight?"

"How do you know she's going to call tonight?"

"She called last night and said she'd keep doing so until she had an answer. She's relentless. You might as well give in now." He wrapped a stray strand of hair around my hair tie.

"Tell her I need to find out what my parents are planning and then I'll let you know, but if there's no plans, I'll come."

He grinned and leaned forward, kissing my neck just below my jaw line. "You're going to make her so happy," he whispered against my skin. My eyelids fluttered closed as he kissed his way around my neck and across my face. I opened them to see him grinning at me close up. "Sucks to be so turned on by a simple gesture, huh?"

I hit him playfully with my notebook. "Bite me."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Ok." He leaned forward and kissed me, gently pulling my lower lip between his teeth and biting down. My breath hitched in my throat and the butterflies reappeared in my stomach. He pulled back and grinned at me.

"Asshole," I breathed at him.

He laughed and pulled his books back into his lap. We kept studying for a while until Edward's stomach growled. It was close to dinner time, so we headed downstairs to be sociable with the others.

Alice and Jasper were sprawled out in the living room and Emmett was sitting on the rarely used pool table with his books. I headed in to the kitchen to see what we had on hand that would inspire an easy meal. I decided on spaghetti and set about making the sauce while Edward joined Emmett on the table and started quizzing him on some of the finer aspects of molecular biology.

The smell of the onions and beef with the herbs brought them all into the kitchen before too long. Jasper set the table while Alice pulled some frozen garlic bread out of the freezer and put it in the oven. Edward started the spaghetti and Emmett got everyone's drinks. It was comfortable and familiar and we all worked pretty well together in the small kitchen. By the time the pasta was done, the sauce was finished and the bread was nearly done. We served our plates from the counter and settled in around the table. When the timer for the bread dinged, Alice jumped up and pulled it out, dropping hot slices on each of our plates.

To my surprise and pleasure, I actually had a bit of an appetite and managed to finish half my plate before getting full. Emmett claimed what was left of my spaghetti while Edward took the uneaten bread. I watched, enjoying how much they loved my cooking.

I felt a pang as I realized that soon enough, we'd be going our separate ways. Edward and Alice and Jasper were all set to graduate in May, then Emmett next year. I had two years without any of them, three years without three of them.

I felt hot tears pricking the back of my eyes and I rubbed at them frustrated. I hated how emotional I was sometimes.

"You ok?" Emmett was looking at me with concern.

"Yeah, just tired." I forced a smile. No one bought it.

"What's wrong? Do we already need to make good on our threat to Edward's balls?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything," Edward protested.

I shook my head, laughing softly. "No, I'm fine. I just…" I sighed. "I just realized that at the end of the school year three of you are leaving and then next year Emmett will leave and I'll be here alone." I shrugged. "It's just kind of a sad thought, you know?"

"Who says we're leaving?" demanded Jasper. "I'm supposed to get an MBA, remember? I can do that here."

"I've got to get licensed somewhere, might as well be here," shrugged Alice. "Plus, I can start working in Springfield after that. Lots of rich people in Springfield."

Edward leaned over and put his arm around my shoulders. "I didn't want to say anything in case I jinx it, but I've applied to UIS Medical School."

"None of us wants to leave your awesome cooking," assured Emmett, squeezing my hand. "Hell, I plan to move in with you no matter where you go. I can practice medicine anywhere."

I laughed softly and looked around the table. "You're not all doing that because of me, right?"

Alice snorted. "No, I'm staying here for Jasper, he's staying because he likes the school and the house. Plus Carl got his MBA there and he's done pretty well for himself."

I nodded and looked up at Edward. He grinned. "Well, I applied at a couple of schools; I'm just pulling for UI because its close and I won't have to move. I'm a creature of habit."

"Shit, Bella, you finally get the guy, get us all used to your cooking and then you try to get rid of us?" Jasper teased. "You're pretty mean."

I stuck out my tongue at him. "I didn't know what future plans were, I just figured that you'd move on to other universities for your advanced degrees."

"Hell no, you're just trying to fatten us up so you can kill us and feed us to the next roommates." Emmett looked down at his food in mock horror. "Maybe that's what really happened to Rosalie and Mike."

Alice and Jasper burst out laughing, but Edward scowled, remembering the confrontation from that afternoon. I reached under the table and put my hand on his knee. Alice stopped laughing first, seeing the expression on our faces.

"Oh shit, what happened?"

Jasper and Emmett stopped laughing and looked at us anxiously.

I quickly filled them in while Edward stabbed his plate with his fork. The others sat in stunned silence as they processed.

"What a douche," muttered Alice, savagely stabbing her spaghetti.

There were murmurs of agreement before Emmett finally broke up the cloud of gloom with another: returning to our studies.

Edward's POV

I woke up before Bella and felt her forehead. She seemed cooler so maybe the fever was dropping. She opened her eyes and smiled up at me. "How'm I doing doc?" she rasped.

I grinned. I loved that voice. If not for the flu I'd make her call my name now. "I think you're gonna live, but no work today. Or school. I'm getting your review packet."

She smiled obediently. I leaned over her and grabbed her phone and sat back against the bed, calling Anne again.

"Anne Bonner."

"Hi Anne, it's Edward Cullen again."

"Oh, is Bella still sick?"

"Yeah. Do you want me to take the kids again?"

"No, I made arrangements in case she was sick. Just let her know we're thinking of her and to get well soon. The kids miss her, though Todd just adores you."

I laughed. "We had fun, he's a cool little dude."

"Well, anytime you're interested, he would love to hang out with you."

I grinned. "Cool deal."

"I've got to run, but I'll talk to you later. Have a good day."

"You too, Mrs. Bonner."

I flipped the phone closed and grinned down at Bella. "Todd likes me."

She chuckled softly. "Yeah, he was raving about you after putt-putt. I think you're his new hero."

"Well, I am pretty damn super."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, you're the most awesome boyfriend ever."

"I know that's sarcasm but I'm gonna let it slide because you're sick."

She grinned. "So are you gonna go get my review or what?"

"Yeah, I'm going. Write down where I need to go while I shower and get dressed."

She nodded. "Roger Wilco Superhero Edward."

I thumped her leg lightly as I headed upstairs.

A little while later I was headed up to Millikin. I'd never been here before but it wasn't that big of a campus and Bella had shown me on a map where I needed to go. The math building was easy enough to find and I even found a parking spot relatively close to the door. I headed up the steps and looked around for the stairs to the next floor.

It took me a few minutes but I finally found the right classroom. I walked up to the teacher, an older woman with chalk all over her sweater.

"Excuse me," I said, pasting on my most charming smile, "are you the teacher for this class?"

She looked at me for a beat then smiled. "Yes. Are you in this class? I don't think I've seen you before."

"No, but my girlfriend is. Bella Swan?"

"Oh yes. I have her extra credit work graded already."

"Ok, cool. She's home sick and I was wondering if I could pick up her review for her?"

"Poor dear. Of course." She rummaged through untidy piles on her desk before producing a small sheaf of papers. "Tell her I hope she gets better."

"Will do, thanks." I grinned and turned to go.

"Young man, hold on a moment." I turned back and she was rummaging again. She produced a black spiral notebook and handed it to me. "These are all of Bella's extra credit work. She may want to look at them for study purposes."

"Oh, thanks." I smiled at her. "Have a great holiday."

She beamed back at me as I turned to leave, slamming into someone.

"Sorry," I muttered, leaning down to grab Bella's stuff.

"Edward?"

Shit. It was Mike. He looked confused. "Why are you here?"

I held up the papers. "I'm getting Bella's reviews for her. She's sick."

"Oh." He stared at me for a moment. "How's she doing? Does she talk about me?"

What are we, 12-year-old girls? "She's good. New boyfriend, work, all that keeps her pretty busy."

His face fell. "So she doesn't miss me, then."

"Sorry."

He shrugged. "Oh well. Everyone has a first love, right?"

"Um…yeah. Right." I clapped him on the shoulder. "You'll be fine. You're young enough to find someone great."

"No one like Bella, though," he said glumly.

While I agreed with him on that, I didn't want to grow a vagina. "Well…good luck with stuff. Bye."

I headed out the door before he asked to go get manicures or something with me.

When I got home, Bella was drowsily flipping through channels. She smiled up at me. "Everything go ok?"

"Yep. Your teacher sent home your extra credit stuff and I ran into Mike."

She winced. "Sorry. I forgot to warn you he might be there."

"He asked about you. I think he's secretly a chick." I settled on the bed next to her, taking the remote and flipping to a _Simpsons_ rerun.

She grinned. "No, I know he's not. He pressed up against me a couple times."

I made a face. "Please. No one presses against my woman but me."

She chuckled then yawned. "I'm tired. Mind if I sleep while you study?"

"Nope. If you weren't sleeping I'd think something was wrong in our relationship."

She leaned up and kissed me lightly before snuggling back into the bed and going to sleep. I turned the TV down and grabbed my laptop. I studied for a while with her sleeping beside me. I jumped when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I leaned to the side to extract it and frowned.

"Mom, I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it yet," I murmured as a greeting.

She sighed. "Fine, but do it soon, ok?"

I grinned. "Ok. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I went back to working and grimaced when the phone buzzed again. I sighed when I saw it was work. "Hello?"

"Edward, its Ted. Something's come up, can you cover part of a shift for me this afternoon?"

"How much of a part?" I asked warily.

"Just a couple hours, from 1 to 3. I have to go to the doctor for this rash on my…"

"Ok," I interrupted. I really didn't want to know about his rash. "But you owe me."

"Thanks man, you're a lifesaver."

I rolled my eyes and flipped my phone closed. I looked down at Bella and sighed. I was leaving her again. At least this time it was just for a little while.

I leaned over and woke her up with a kiss. She blinked slowly and smiled. "That was nice."

I grinned. "I got called in to work so I've got to go. I'll be home by 3, ok?"

She nodded and yawned. "I should probably clean up. I'm sure I stink."

We parted ways and I headed to the store. It was busy so the two hours went by quickly. On my way home I stopped off for a few things at the pharmacy. I needed condoms now that I was with Bella since she obviously wasn't on the pill. I grabbed some cough drops and more TheraFlu while I was there and headed back.

When I came through the front door, I could see Bella standing at the stove in her summer pjs. Must mean the fever was back. I grinned in spite of that. She was up and around so maybe she was feeling better again.

"Feeling better pretty girl?" I asked, pulling her against me and kissing her. She pushed me away, her eyes wide, flicking them in the direction of the table. I turned and froze. Mike. With far more calm than I felt, I set the bag from the pharmacy on the counter and turned to confront her. "How are you, Mike?" I asked.

Bella slid behind me and pressed against my back. I wanted to shelter her from him and currently, this was probably the best way.

"I came to see how Bella's doing. You said she had a new boyfriend but left out the detail that it was you. Were you two screwing around when she and I were together?"

I flinched and Bella laid her hand on my shoulder blade. I knew she was trying to calm me but it wasn't working.

"It doesn't really matter does it? We weren't, not that it's any of your business."

"You're sure? She wouldn't let me touch her, maybe because she was getting what she wanted from you."

The pressure against my back that was Bella immediately disappeared at the same time that I clenched my hands into fists. This asshole was going to try to talk that way about Bella? "Bella never did anything with you because you're a prick, plain and simple. No woman in her right mind would want to do something with you."

"Edward." Bella was pissed. I'd temporarily forgotten she was there and looked down at her, a little sheepish. She looked at Mike, not moving from beside me. "Mike, you're a sweet guy, just not the right guy for me."

He scowled. "Why not for you?" he demanded, standing up.

I had to hold myself back from throttling him.

"Because you're too needy. You move too quickly and you expect too much. You need to chill out with girls and just let it happen naturally. You'll be fine, you just weren't what I needed."

There was silence in the room and Mike looked like he was going to start crying. He finally just pushed past us and stormed out of the house. I reached for Bella but she ignored me and dropped into a seat at the table.

"What the hell, Bella, giving him relationship advice?" I shook my head and leaned against the counter, a little put out.

I gave me a look that kind of scared me. "There was no need for you to be such a dick, Edward. He's a sweet guy. TOO sweet at times, but sweet. He needs some guidance, that's all."

I hated how right she was, but I'd been pissed off. I scowled back at her before turning to check the pot on the stove. It was bubbling all over the place, making a huge mess. It looked kind of gross, to be honest. . "I think your soup is done."

"I'm not hungry, dump it," she muttered, leaving the room. I heard her footsteps on the stairs and then quiet, so I knew she was most likely in bed.

I sighed and dumped out the soup and filled the tea kettle on the stove, turning the burner on high so the water would boil soon. I headed upstairs to talk to Bella.

It took some awkward conversation, but she was finally ok, assured that I wasn't too terribly jealous of Mike. I shuddered at that thought.

Dr. Bonner dropped off some of the most fucking amazing chicken soup I'd ever tasted along with some little blue pills that seemed to perk Bella up. The condoms embarrassed the shit out of her, her whole face turning bright red when I dropped it in the nightstand drawer.

We sat and worked quietly while I tried to figure out how to ask her to spend Christmas with me when she kind of led me to it. It was nice to finally have an answer for Mom.

When the others got home, exhausted from work and studying, Bella surprised us all by actually cooking a damn good meal. Afterwards she headed upstairs to study while I helped clean up. My phone rang as I was heading up myself.

"Hey Mom," I grinned, not even checking the caller id.

"Well?"

I laughed. "She's got to check with her own parents first, but she's a go if they're ok with it."

"I can call and convince them if you want."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, chill out. They haven't seen her in months, they might like to over the break."

She sighed. "Ok, just let me know. I've got lots of planning to do."

"Yes ma'am. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I ran my fingers through my hair and looked down at Bella. I hadn't told her about where I'd applied for medical school. UI was real, but I had a feeling my chances of getting in there were going to be slim. I hadn't done as well on the MCAT as I wanted to. I was going to try again in the spring but I wasn't too optimistic. I knew I'd be ok once I was in, it was just getting there. I wasn't sure what was going to happen with us if I got into a medical school someplace else. Even Chicago was further than I wanted to go.

I'd have to cross that bridge when I came to it and just cross my fingers that I got in either in Springfield or Champaign. I pulled her close to me and kissed her lightly. She sighed against my lips and kissed me back.


	25. Chapter 25

Bella's POV

Edward woke me up early the next morning to eat a piece of toast and take my pill and then let me go back to sleep while he headed off to work. By the time he got back at 3, I'd gotten up and washed and changed the sheets on the bed, straightened up my room, studied for my economics exam and was in the process of making meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner.

"I see you're feeling better," he smiled, pulling me close and kissing me. "Those little blue pills are pretty awesome. I'll have to remember that for future patients."

I grinned. "I'm feeling tons better. I think it's the chicken soup and pills and TheraFlu and TLC."

He winked as he disappeared around the corner. He reappeared a moment later with his laptop and books and spread out on the kitchen table to study. I slid the meatloaf and potatoes into the fridge so I could pop them in the oven later and went upstairs to get my government stuff.

I could hear my phone ringing "God Save the Queen," signaling Mom was calling. I ran down the hall and grabbed it, answering breathlessly.

"'lo?"

"Bella, it's your mom."

I rolled my eyes. "I figured. I've got caller id."

"Oh, right. How are you sweetie?"

"I'm good," I settled myself on the bed. We hadn't talked all week, so there were a few things to tell her. I let her go first, telling me about some new friends she and Dad had made at their church, how pleased she was with her job at the book store, on and on, mundane little details. Then it was my turn.

I filled her in on how studying was going and on having the flu and how well everyone was taking care of me. Then I mentioned Edward.

I'd talked about Edward before, and Mom had guessed that I had a crush on him. She vaguely remembered him from stories Aunt Cassie had told her about the trouble the boys got into. That was all balanced somewhat by his 4.0 GPA and medical aspirations.

"So how serious is this?" she asked curiously. I rolled my eyes.

"Mom, we've been a couple since Sunday evening. So far all we've done is study. He's taken care of me while I've been sick, but it's not like we're engaged or anything."

"So? I knew I wanted to marry your dad on our first date. You've been his roommate for three months. And from what I hear, you two spend a lot of time together."

I made a face at the phone. "Well, we're not talking marriage. For Pete's sake, Mom, I'm only 19 and he's only 21. We've got time. Though his mom does want me to spend Christmas with them if I'm not going to England."

"Oh sweetie, that's exciting! I wasn't sure how to tell you that we're going to Rome for the holidays. I was afraid you'd think I was abandoning you to Cassie and Carl."

I laughed. "You are, but that's fine. His mom has been calling practically every night wanting to know. She even asked for y'all's number to call and convince you that it was for the best that I go to Chicago for Christmas."

Mom laughed. "I like her persistence. Go have Christmas with them, maybe you can come here for Spring Break. I'd rather you come for a month or so this summer but I miss you."

I felt a lump in my throat. It had to be hard for Mom to be so far from all her family. "I miss you too."

We talked a little longer before finally hanging up. I could hear Dad in the background grumbling about trans-Atlantic phone charges, but I knew he'd pay whatever he needed to in order to talk to me.

Dinner that night was eaten quickly as we all wanted to get back to studying. The whole house felt tense and stressed out. On top of studying and the crappy weather, we still had to work. Our schedules were crazy, due to 7 am exams followed by a 2 pm exam on the same day. Because of the drive, Edward had just taken exam days off completely and Jasper was hoping to do the same. Alice was pretty much just living up at campus.

My finals started on Saturday with a 10 am government exam. I was lucky enough to get economics at 2 Saturday afternoon. We all had Sunday off, but then Monday they each had two finals and I had one. I made a beef pot roast in the crock pot so we could each eat when we had a chance between exams and studying and work. Tuesday was easier, I had just one, and then I had a break until Thursday when I had my final exam. Edward finished his on Wednesday so that night he helped me go over my history notes one last time.

He frowned down at the paper. "What the hell? Lincoln was dead in 1963, babe."

I rolled my eyes. "I miswrote. Just keep going."

He shrugged but complied.

I was so wiped from still being sick and studying, we pretty much just kissed and went to sleep at nights. Plus, just like Edward predicted, I started my period. I was a little nervous about how our nightly routine would change once everything was over on Thursday. Edward didn't mention anything, just calmly went about like nothing was out of the ordinary. The box of unopened condoms in the nightstand drawer was taunting me.

When I got home on Thursday, the house was deserted. Jasper and Alice were still in Champaign and Emmett was in Springfield. Edward had picked up an extra shift at the music store so I was home alone.

After checking on the crock pot meal of chicken paprika I'd started that morning I headed upstairs with my backpack to put away my notebooks and school supplies until next semester. I'd already sold back my books and made a nice little chunk of change. Not nearly what I'd paid for the damn things, but enough for a nice gift for Edward's mom.

When he told her I was coming, she got so excited she immediately started planning so many activities and outings that I wasn't sure we'd get to all of them in the few days I was there. I was nervous about the whole gift exchange portion of Christmas, but Edward brushed it off, saying they weren't much into gifts. I didn't buy that for a second. He had so many nice things his parents had given him it was obvious they showered their only son with gifts any chance they could. I was betting Christmas would be a big deal.

I decided a nice hot bath was in order to help me relax and wind down from the last two weeks. I stripped down in my room and grabbed my robe as I headed down the hall. I started the water and while it filled the tub, I clipped my hair up. I'd taken a shower that morning, so I was already clean and smooth, just tense.

I slowly lowered my body into the tub, sighing contentedly as the water surrounded me and relaxed my muscles. I wished the tub were bigger so I could stretch my legs out, but having my knees above the water line wasn't bad. I rested my head against the wall, grinning to myself at how nice it was to have so much hair as to cushion my skull against the cold tile.

I was on the verge of falling asleep when I felt cold air enter the warm room. I looked up drowsily and saw Edward standing there. I felt a flush crawl up my body and I moved my legs to shield myself some from his wandering eyes. He sighed and lowered himself to the floor beside the tub.

"Why do you do that, hide your body from me?"

I shrugged. "I was raised in Texas. This is all terribly sinful."

He grinned. "So you're embarrassed."

"Of course. I was raised that way. Sex is for marriage, boys aren't meant to see girls naked, drugs are bad."

He chuckled. "Well, I was raised with those values too. I guess they just didn't stick. The first two anyway." He put his fingers in the water and lightly flicked it at me.

I rolled my head to look at him for a minute, looking over the features that were so important to me. They weren't perfect. His nose was slightly crooked from when Jasper broke it in high school playing baseball. There was a small scar going through his right eyebrow from Jasper attempting to shoot an apple off his head with a bb gun. I knew this face and these features so well after only three months almost as well as I knew the man they belonged to.

I realized with a start he was studying me, too. I blushed again and he grinned at me, leaning forward and kissing me. It started out gentle, then deepened. I was wondering absentmindedly if he would attempt to climb into the tub with me when he suddenly scooped me up out of the water and set me on the floor of the bathroom carefully. He wrapped my robe around me, using it as more of a towel than an actual robe. When he decided I was dry enough, he wrapped his arm around me and kissed me again. He lifted me up and carried me down the hall to my room, kicking the door shut behind him.

The second time was much better than the first.

Edward's POV

When I got home from work on Thursday the house was quiet. I headed upstairs to see how Bella was feeling. I paused when I saw the door to the bathroom was ajar. I poked my head in and grinned.

Bella was sitting in the tub, her knees pulled up to accommodate the small tub. The tops of her breasts were visible above the water level and she was using her mass of hair as a pillow. She rolled her head towards me drowsily and flushed when she saw me standing there. I grinned. The flush spread lower than I'd remembered from the incident in August.

I sighed and lowered myself to the floor beside her, sitting on the bathmat for some cushion.

"Why do you do that, hide your body from me?"

She shrugged. "I was raised in Texas. This is all terribly sinful."

I grinned. "So you're embarrassed."

"Of course. I was raised that way. Sex is for marriage, boys aren't meant to see girls naked, drugs are bad." She smiled at me shyly.

I laughed. "Well, I was raised with those values too. I guess they just didn't stick. The first two anyway." I lazily played with the water, flicking it at her gently.

She rolled her head and looked at me, studying my face. Anyone else doing that would piss me off, but with her it was nice. I studied her, too. She had beautiful full lips, long lashes framing beautiful eyes. I loved everything about her face. She blushed again and I grinned, leaning forward to kiss her.

The kiss started innocently enough, then she automatically turned her head, deepening it. I was tempted to climb in the tub with her, but tub and shower sex was awkward enough in a full sized shower and tub. This little thing would make things uncomfortable.

I impulsively lifted her out of the water, not caring how much water got on me or the floor. I set her down on the floor and grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her, rubbing her arms and body with it to dry her off. She smiled up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her lips against mine again. I dropped the robe and pulled her against me, moaning softly into her mouth. I held her tightly, lifting her feet off the floor and carrying her down the hall to her room. I kicked the door shut behind us and laid her down on the bed. She looked up at me expectantly.

I grinned and pulled her closer, kissing her again. I grabbed her leg and hitched it over my hip. She made a face.

"Denim doesn't feel that great against certain areas, Edward," she murmured. "No matter what's pressing the denim against me."

I frowned. I'd momentarily forgotten she was naked and I wasn't. I sat back and quickly remedied that. I resumed my position and hooked her leg over my hip again. She grinned up at me this time.

"Much better," she breathed as I trailed kisses down her neck.

She arched her hips against me and I knew what she wanted but I needed to do something first. I rolled off of her and grabbed the box of condoms out of the drawer and tore it open, sending condoms flying all over the floor in my haste. She chuckled softly and tossed one that had landed on her stomach to me. I rolled it on and then moved back on top of her.

She positioned her hands on my waist and bit her lip. I couldn't tell if it was nerves or what.

"You ok?" I asked softly. "We don't have to do this."

"I'm fine," she said. "Just nervous."

I grinned. "I'll be careful. Just let me know what's going on and how you feel, ok?"

She nodded and I kissed her, sliding into her slowly. She gasped and I groaned softly. Being inside her felt like the home I'd never known I missed. I waited while she adjusted to me. She finally pressed against the small of my back with her hands and I moved against her.

She moved with me awkwardly at first, then slowly began to get the hang of it. She winced a little every time I pumped a little deeper but there weren't any tears this time, to my relief.

I shuddered against her as I climaxed and sighed, resting on her, careful not to crush her with my weight. She wrapped her legs around my waist and sighed against me softly.

"You ok?" I asked again.

She nodded, kissing my neck. "Perfect."

I rolled off of her and smiled. "Sorry I'm so selfish." I removed the condom and carefully threw it in the trash can.

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I don't really take care of you, I just get off and go on."

She rolled her eyes. "Considering we've only had sex twice I don't think it's that big of a deal."

I raised my eyebrows. "Says the girl who's never had an orgasm."

She flushed. After what we'd just done and the fact that we were both naked it was kind of cute to see I could still embarrass her. I grinned at her. "Come here."

I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me. "Put your arms around my neck," I instructed. She obeyed, looking at me with complete trust. I grinned and pulled her top leg over mine. I lightly caressed the soft skin of her inner thighs then slipped a finger inside her.

She dissolved into giggles, her arms tightening around my neck and her leg around mine. Her body bucked against mine and my hand but she didn't pull away.

I pressed on, sliding another finger in. "Fuck, you're really wet."

"That's good, though, right? And we just had sex, so that's gotta be part of it." she giggled.

I grinned. "Fuck yeah." I was getting turned on again. I felt around inside her for a little bit, stroking and caressing folds of skin. Then I found what I'd been looking for. I lightly teased it with the tips of my fingers and her eyes widened.

Her fingers dug into my shoulders and she ground her hips against me. "Oh fuck," she groaned. I felt her tighten around me and I groaned, pushing a little harder until she shuddered against me.

Her arms dropped from my neck and she lay on the bed limp. "Holy shit," she sighed. "You've got to do that more often."

I grinned. "My pleasure. My fingers are at your disposal anytime you want them."

She grinned and kissed me lightly. "Good to know. I think now I'd like to sleep though."

I pulled her closer against me and held her tightly as we drifted off to sleep.

Bella's POV

When I woke up, it was dark. I could hear voices in the kitchen below us. I lifted my head to check the clock and sighed. "Edward, wake up. It's almost 8."

He grunted but sat up. He stretched and reached for his t-shirt and boxers. I pulled on some pjs and we headed downstairs. Alice was lounging on the couch in the living room with a beer while Jasper and Emmett were playing pool.

"I think that's the first time I've seen you guys use that thing," I teased, tousling Jasper's hair as I passed him.

"I call next," Edward called over his shoulder as he followed me into the kitchen, getting a beer for himself.

I started the water boiling for the rice for the chicken paprika and pulled the salad ingredients out of the refrigerator. It had been a while since we'd had fresh vegetables. Alice joined me a few minutes later and started setting the table.

"So how's things?" she asked nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I laughed. "I'm spending Christmas with the Cullens."

She raised her eyebrows at me. "So things are pretty serious with you two."

"Why does everyone keep saying that? We've been together a week and a half and we were best friends before that for three months. We hardly know each other. I'm sure you know him better than I do."

"Doubt it," she said, popping a cucumber slice into her mouth. "We hung out a little in high school, but mostly he was studying or out with girls I didn't like. You're the first girlfriend he's had that anyone else has liked since like, 5th grade."

I laughed and put the salad on the counter and checked the rice. It still needed a minute or two. "Yeah, but you've lived with him for three and a half years now. You've gotten to know him haven't you?"

"Bella," she said patiently, "we as a group didn't really hang out until you moved in. Emmett was in and out all the time with different girls and activities, Edward was over at Rosalie's. Seriously, last year it was like Jasper and I lived here alone. We had sex all over this damn house. You basically made a bunch of strangers a family."

I stopped and stared at her. "Please God tell me not on the kitchen table." She put on her best estimation of an innocent face. "Oh gross, you did! Alice, we eat there."

She shrugged and grabbed a tomato slice. "At the time, it was just the two of us eating there so it wasn't that big of a deal."

I made a face and checked the rice again. It was ready this time. Alice called the guys in and we served ourselves and settled into our seats at the table.

We really were like a family, teasing each other and stealing food off one another's plates. We worked together well, we knew each other's insecurities and fears and hopes. We spent more time together than typical roommates, I knew that for a fact. I was happy in the knowledge that our little family wouldn't be broken up anytime soon.

"Ok," said Emmett, sitting back from the table. "Now that Bella's pretty much back to normal, we have to go swing dancing before we all go home for the holidays. I'm thinking either tomorrow or Saturday."

"Tomorrow is Friday," pointed out Alice. "That means pizza and a movie. And it's my week to pick the movie."

"Definitely tomorrow then," grinned Jasper. "I'm scared of what you'll pick."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I picked _The Breakfast Club_."

"Oh, I love that movie," I said excitedly. "Let's have public humiliation on Saturday and movie night tomorrow."

Everyone looked at Edward and he shrugged. "I have no opinions either way."

"Saturday it is," announced Emmett with a grin.

Jasper's head dropped down on the table and he groaned loudly. I laughed as I reached over and patted him on the head. "Awe, buck up kiddo, it won't be that bad."

Without lifting his head, he gave me the finger. We all laughed and set about cleaning up the kitchen. Since we were all free from exams and no one had anywhere to be early, we trooped down to the basement for a video game marathon with alcohol. I even got up and attempted Dance Dance Revolution at one point, winning because Alice was laughing so hard at my non-coordination that she fell.

We played games late into the night, then we all retreated to our respective rooms and went to bed. It was a pretty satisfying way to end finals week.

***

The next day was quiet, due to sleeping late to sleep off the hangovers from the previous night. I wasn't scheduled to have the kids until Monday, so I was free to do whatever I wanted. Having already cleaned up my room and organized my things somewhat, I opted to stay in bed with Edward all day.

We finally surfaced around 2 to find Emmett and Jasper at work and Alice watching TV downstairs. She looked up at me with a sly grin as I dropped onto the couch next to her.

"I'm surprised you're not split in half at this point."

My face flamed up. "Shut up," I muttered. "It's the honeymoon phase."

She laughed. "So, I've been thinking. I don't want a repeat of last August." I shuddered, remembering. "So, we're just going to keep things simple: dinner then we'll head over to the Prairie Land for dancing. It's calmer and doesn't generally have large crowds."

I grinned at her. "So we're going to a country dance hall for swing?"

She nodded, clearly pleased with herself. "That way you won't freak out."

"What way?" Edward came down to the basement with a bowl of cereal for each of us.

I took mine and shifted over to make room for him on the couch. "We're going to an unknown dance club, if that's possible in this town."

He grinned. "Awesome."

The rest of the day was spent just generally hanging out until Jasper and Emmett got home. We ordered the pizza and settled in to watch _The Breakfast Club. _The guys all begrudgingly admitted it was better than they'd expected.

The next day was quiet, too. The guys all had work and Alice spent the day online and on the phone working on wedding plans.

I opted to dress myself for this outing and pulled on an awesome soft pink dress that had a flowy skirt with a pair of black strappy heels. I'd gotten a little better at walking in heels but hadn't worked my way up to stilettos yet.

I pulled my hair back, pinning it with bobby pins, and swiped on some mascara and lip gloss before heading downstairs.

The cab was already waiting, to my surprise. The guys were ready, of course, but Alice was still rushing around crazy. Why she was rushing I wasn't sure; she'd had all afternoon to get dressed. We headed out to the car to wait while Jasper stood at the foot of the stairs and hollered up to her.

I grinned at Edward as I climbed into his lap. "Better than last time, huh?"

He grinned back at me and kissed my neck. "Much."

"Get a room," teased Emmett.

I snickered as Alice and Jasper wedged into the car with us.

Dinner was great; the guys took us to the Beach House. Alice and I pigged out on the bread in an effort to have plenty in our stomachs to absorb whatever alcohol we'd be consuming.

When we were finished, another cab was called and we headed over to the Prairie Land. Just like Alice said, the place wasn't terribly crowded. There were a nice number of people but they were all older than us and seemed intent on dancing with the partners they'd come with.

Emmett surveyed the room and frowned. "There's no single ladies here for me. What the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"You're the instigator of this particular brand of humiliation," reminded Alice as she shrugged out of her coat. "You don't have to dance unless you want to."

"I want to, though," he pouted.

I laughed. "I'll dance with you, Emmett," I promised. "Just don't crush me with your giant feet."

"Do you know how to swing?" he asked with surprise.

"No, do you?"

He threw his head back and laughed. "Ok, so we'll have to pay attention to the others. It'll be fun."

Edward frowned. "So what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

I shrugged. "I'm sure you can find a way to entertain yourself." I winked at him and took Emmett's hand, leading him out onto the dance floor.

We stood for a moment, surveying the other couples around us. Alice and Jasper were on the sidelines, looking none-too-pleased with their punishment. I laughed and looked up at Emmett.

"Ready?"

He grinned. "I think I got this." He put one hand on my waist and took the other firmly in his. "One, two, three," he muttered under his breath and we started clumsily following the dance moves of the people around us.

There were some grins from the other couples as we laughed our way through the dance moves. We probably looked like an odd couple, but we were having a blast. The song ended and we made our way back to the edge where Edward had managed to score us a small table.

He grinned up at us. "You look like you almost know what you're doing."

I laughed and settled on his knee. "It's fun. You up for a dance?"

"Sure." He lifted me up and pulled me back out. "Order us some drinks," he called to Emmett over his shoulder.

Edward was surprisingly graceful on his feet, dancing better than I'd expected he would. I raised my eyebrows at him and he rolled his eyes back at me.

"My girlfriend in high school, Jessica, was really into dancing. We took swing and salsa and all that."

"Well, if I ever meet her, remind me to thank her," I laughed as he spun me out and pulled me back.

I caught a glimpse of Alice and Jasper, having fun in spite of themselves as they attempted to dance across the room from us. Alice was doing fine, but Jasper looked like a hopeless case. It was a pretty fun evening, full of drinking, dancing and merciless teasing.

Around midnight, we finally headed home, buzzed on liquor and laughter. Edward and I collapsed into bed, barely taking the time to change into something more comfortable.

Edward's POV

I loved watching Bella dance. She wasn't very good but she threw herself into it whole heartedly and laughed at herself. Dancing with her was better since I could just guide her around the floor. She fit so perfectly and moved so gracefully that it almost looked like she knew what she was doing with me as her dance partner.

We were exhausted when we got home and just barely managed to drop our clothes on the floor before collapsing on the bed. To my intense pleasure, Bella opted to sleep in just her panties. I figured I should return the favor so I pulled my shirt off and slept in just my boxers. She snuggled up against me and I grinned as I stroked her silky skin while we drifted off to sleep. Almost sleeping naked was somehow more arousing than actually sleeping naked.


	26. Chapter 26

Edward's POV

Bella was still fast asleep when I rolled out of bed the next morning. I grinned as I headed upstairs to my shower. Things were working out pretty well, if I did say so myself.

I dressed quickly and headed out to my shift. The weather was still shitty, so I knew that meant another slow morning at the store. I was beginning to wonder how the fuck the place stayed in business.

Ted was in his usual spot, reading a magazine and munching on M&M's when I arrived. Darren was off today, so we were stuck with Frankie, the annoying teenage daughter of the manager.

"Hi Edward," she beamed at me. "How's it going?"

"Fine," I smiled back at her. It wouldn't do me any good to tell her to fuck off. "How're you?"

"I'm great. I'm out of school now. It's only 10 days until Christmas, you know." She fluttered her eyelashes at me.

"Um, yeah." That reminded me. I needed to find a gift for Bella. She was coming home with me so I had to find something great but not embarrassing. I had a vase I'd gotten for Mom that I knew she'd love but I didn't have anything for Dad, either. I sighed. This was going to be a pain in the ass. Shopping for him was a bitch.

"I'm really hoping my dad got me a car," she went on.

I frowned down at her. "Didn't you get one for your sixteenth birthday?"

"Yeah, but that was two years ago. I'm ready for a new one."

Spoiled bitch. I walked away from her before I said something stupid. Ted raised an eyebrow at me as I leaned on the counter and snitched an M&M.

"She tell you about her car?"

I grunted. "Why does she get a new car every two years? How much mileage can a high schooler put on a car?"

He chuckled and shrugged.

The rest of the morning went by slow, just like I'd figured. Ted and I took our breaks together and shared a cigarette. I realized I wasn't sure how Bella felt about smoking. I wasn't thinking about starting up again, but I should probably know what her thoughts were if I were to occasionally share one with Ted.

"You know, you should just buy your own damn pack," he said annoyed as I passed the cigarette back to him.

"That'd be stupid," I grinned. "I don't smoke."

"Fuck you don't," he muttered, taking the last drag and stamping it out as we headed back inside. I paused and looked towards the town square, a though occurring to me. I had a perfect gift in mind for Bella.

Bella's POV

I yawned as I headed downstairs. I'd slept late again, thoroughly enjoying my break from work and school. I'd miss the income, but sleeping late was fantastic. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and leaned against the counter to eat it. Edward was off at work and if I wasn't mistaken, the others were still all asleep.

I rinsed my bowl and decided to watch a movie. I was halfway down the stairs when I heard voices.

"You can't tell anyone about this."

I frowned. I recognized that voice but I couldn't quite place it.

"Shit, you think I want my roommates knowing we're a couple now?" Emmett retorted.

The two of them came into view and my jaw dropped. Emmett was wearing nothing but his boxers and he was rubbing his hand over his short hair. Rosalie, of all people, was pulling on a coat as she headed towards the back door.

"Fucktard, most men dream of sleeping with me."

"Yeah, in your dreams maybe. You still haven't gotten that stick out of your ass. You need to lighten up and be normal for a fucking change."

She whirled around, glaring at him. "Don't you dare say another word about my ass. This was all a stupid mistake and it'll never happen again."

"Good," Emmett roared back at her. "It's not like I wanted it to anyway!"

They glared at each other for a long moment before Rosalie threw herself into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. He groaned and carried her back into his room.

I stood on the stairs stunned. Rosalie and Emmett? What the hell? I stumbled back upstairs, bursting to tell someone, anyone, but no one was around. I paced around the kitchen, trying to figure out what to do.

"Morning," Alice sang as she sailed into the kitchen in the midst of my pacing. She eyed me and gasped. "Oh my god, you've got dirt. Spill."

I grinned. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to or if I'm allowed or what."

"Bullshit. Spill." She pointed to the kitchen table.

I sat down, my leg bouncing nervously. I leaned across the table and grinned. "Emmett's downstairs with Rosalie."

She stared at me, uncomprehending. "Wait, what? Edward's Rosalie?"

I nodded, not caring that she was still being associated with Edward. "Yes. They're having sex."

Alice's eyes bugged a little. "Bullshit," she hissed. "She hates his ass and he hates hers."

I shrugged and sat back smugly. "Apparently that was all a cover up for some crazy attraction or something. They're going at it right now."

Alice sat back in her seat, stunned. "Well," she said finally. "I did NOT see that coming."

"See what coming?" We both turned and saw Jasper walk into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Emmett and Rosalie fucking," Alice said with a grin.

He stared at her. "You're full of shit."

"No, I saw it myself," I giggled. "They're downstairs right now."

"Who's downstairs?" Edward asked, coming in the back door.

I groaned. This was getting to be too much. "I thought you had a shift."

"They sent me home early. Too slow. Who's downstairs?"

I took a deep breath. "I heard Emmett and Rosalie arguing about having sex and they're doing it right now."

Edward's face went from shock to annoyance to glee in about two seconds. He grinned. "Oh, it's payback." He grabbed Jasper's arm and pulled him to the stairs. Alice and I exchanged a glance and followed quickly, grins on our faces.

We all trooped downstairs quietly. We could hear them in the back room and I grimaced. Did Edward and I sound like that? God I hoped not.

"Get off my hair," Rosalie complained as we got closer.

Edward snickered and held his fingers up, counting down from five. When he hit zero, he threw the door open and we all burst into the room, shouting at them.

They both stared at us in shock and horror. Emmett quickly recovered and grinned at us.

"Get the fuck out, I'm in the middle of something," he laughed. Edward grinned and grabbed me around the waist, throwing me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and hauling me out of the room. Jasper and Alice were close behind, waving and shouting goodbye over their shoulders.

We all settled on the couches and turned on the TV, starting a movie that was already in the player.

"Feel better about a couple weeks ago?" I laughed at Edward.

He grinned down at me. "Fuck yeah. You?"

I nodded. "Seems like we're even now."

"Fuck that, now I need to get even." We turned to see Rosalie entering the room wearing a pair of Emmett's boxers and t-shirt. She settled herself in Emmett's usual chair. "I get that Edward and Bella felt the need for revenge, but what the fuck about you two?" she glared at Jasper and Alice.

We all stared at her in shock. This was nothing like the Rosalie we'd gotten used to.

"Ok, who the fuck _are_ you?" demanded Edward. "And what the fuck are you doing here?"

Emmett came in then, wearing the same thing as Rosalie. He picked her up and settled in the chair with her on his lap. "She came looking for a real man," he grinned.

Rosalie elbowed him in the side. "Asshole, I did not. I came looking for Edward and stumbled on your stupid ass."

"Why were you looking for me?" demanded Edward.

She sighed. "I wanted to apologize. You were right all along, all of you." She toyed with a strand of her hair. "So, I'm sorry I've been such a bitch for the past three years."

We all sat in stunned silence.

"Well, damn," muttered Alice. "Apology accepted."

Jasper grinned. "Think you can hang with all of us without getting crazy psycho bitch on us?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I think I can manage. I've done ok the past few years."

Edward shook his head in disbelief. "Well fuck me. Rosalie being human. This should be interesting."

***

Tali: I know, kind of weird. I wasn't really sure how to get Rosalie in there and I couldn't think of a great way to do it. Meh. Also, sorry its such an incredibly short chapter, but OMG people! 22,000 hits this month to this story! Boggling! Thank you SO much for giving me little spastic spurts of joy!


	27. Chapter 27

Bella's POV

I sighed as I climbed out of the car. Alice and Jasper were already at their houses so it was just me and Edward. I was dreading meeting the grandparents but Edward promised me he wouldn't desert me with them. His parents had promised to stick around, too.

We were halfway up the walk when the front door flew open and Esme came out, a huge grin on her face. "How are you?" she asked excitedly, pulling first Edward and then me into a tight hug. I hugged her back, shyly.

She quickly ushered us into the house and I sighed with relief when the warmth enveloped me. The front hall was gorgeous and decorated immaculately. I paused and looked at a series of family portraits hanging on the wall, grinning at a younger, still ridiculously good looking Edward. Edward tugged on my hand, a grin on his face and I flushed.

Esme led us down another short hallway into a gorgeous yet comfortable living room. She settled down in an armchair situated next to a roaring fireplace.

"Sit down and chat a little while," she said enthusiastically.

I nervously perched on the edge of the couch while Edward sank back into the cushions easily.

"How's school?" she asked eagerly

"Good," grinned Edward. "I maintained the 4.0 again. Work is good, kinda slow the last few weeks so I've had a lot of time off. I may have to look for another job."

"Are you still thinking about retaking the MCAT in March?"

I looked at Edward with surprise. I hadn't heard about that.

"Yeah. I didn't do too badly, but I'd like to try again just for sure."

She nodded and beamed. Pride and love were practically oozing out of her. She turned to me. "And you, Bella? How's your work and school?"

I flushed. "Fine. I managed a 4.0 this semester, even though I was sure I'd failed the economics test. I'm the nanny for a couple of kids next door and they're really sweet. They gave me a gift certificate to a restaurant here in Chicago as a Christmas gift."

She smiled. I was beginning to think she didn't have any other expressions. "What restaurant?"

"Sal and Carvão?" I said hesitantly.

Her eyes widened. "They're very good. Even Carlisle and I haven't been there."

"I figured I'd take Bella some night while you and Dad and the grandparents all get caught up," Edward put in.

She nodded and stood up. "Edward, take Bella and give her the tour while I get dinner ready. You can bring your things in when you're through with that."

"Ok, Mom." Edward turned to me. "Shall we?" he grinned mischievously at me and led the way out of the living room.

Their house was a Victorian like Carl and Cassie's, but much larger. The first floor had a formal living room where a baby grand piano was sitting in all its glory, a formal dining room with a table big enough for twelve, a huge gourmet eat-in kitchen, a half bath and a family living room where Esme had taken us with a giant, gorgeously decorated Christmas tree. Edward informed me the basement was where the laundry room and storage was.

The second floor had four large bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The attic was the master suite with a sitting room and enormous bathroom. Everything was decorated beautifully and was elegant and cozy at the same time. I felt a little intimidated at it all.

Edward pulled me into his room, the last part of the tour. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me hard. I returned the kiss gladly. Apparently being in his parents' house was extremely arousing to him.

I'd finally gone up to the school's health services and gotten on the pill. I wasn't up for a pregnancy, especially now. We were still using condoms as extra precaution, but the buffer of the pill was a definite comfort to both of us.

Edward pressed up against me and I could feel his arousal against my stomach. I sighed and pushed him back a little.

"Your mom is downstairs."

"I'll be fast."

I grinned. "I don't want you to be fast and I don't want you to fuck me up against the door to your childhood bedroom with your mom downstairs."

He groaned and leaned his forehead against mine. "Then stop swearing. It turns me on."

I kissed him lightly. "Should I go down ahead of you and start unloading? Give you a minute to yourself?"

He scowled. "No, I'll be fine. But I'm coming for you tonight."

I felt a little thrill in my stomach. I had my doubts that he'd be ballsy enough to have sex with me in his parents' house, but there was also hope in there, too.

We headed down the stairs. Carlisle had arrived by then and grinned from the living room. "Hello, son," he greeted us from the couch. He stood up and pulled me into a hug. "Hello to you, too, Bella."

Edward grinned and hugged his dad. "Hey Dad. Where's Bella sleeping so we can get unloaded?"

"We figured you'd probably be sneaking into her room anyway so you two are bunking together," his mom smiled up at us. My face flared up. I hadn't expected acceptance like this. My parents would have locked us in separate rooms.

Edward's grin widened. "You sure?"

"Yes. Just keep in mind your grandparents will probably have something to say about it."

I grimaced and headed out to the car to get my suitcase.

Edward's POV

My parents were being remarkably cool about Bella and I sleeping together. I looked at her as she fussed with her hair, scowling at her reflection.

"It looks fine," I said finally.

She turned and stuck her tongue out at me. "You would think so." She sighed and finally pulled all the pins and shit out of it and brushed it again, starting over. I rolled my eyes and flipped on the TV. I stretched out across my bed. OUR bed. I grinned at that thought and looked at Bella again.

She finally decided she was satisfied with her hair and turned to me, her arms outstretched. "How do I look?"

I sat up to appraise her. She was wearing a dark red sweater dress that clung to her awesome curves and ended just above her knees. She had on some fuck-me shoes. The neck of the sweater left something to be desired in my mind, but was pretty nice, showing off her shoulders somewhat. The front of her hair was pulled back and held in place somehow.

"Awesome," I said with a grin.

She rolled her eyes but I could see she liked that I thought so. She grabbed her purse and we headed downstairs.

Mom and Dad were taking us out to dinner at the club. The Brandons and Hales would be joining us, like usual. Tonight was a celebration of Jasper and Alice's engagement and a chance for everyone to get to know Jane's new boyfriend, Chris.

When we got to the country club, Dad helped Mom with her coat helped Bella with hers. My hands grazed her hips and I frowned.

"I thought you didn't like thongs," I murmured against her hair.

"I don't," she looked up at me with a frown.

"I didn't feel any panty lines," I admitted.

She grinned. "That's because I'm not wearing any." She winked at me followed Mom down the hall towards the dining room.

I stared after her open mouthed until Dad clapped me on the shoulder. "Whatever it is, rein it in, son. We're at the country club." He grinned as he went ahead of me, following Mom and Bella into the dining room. I shook myself and handed over Bella's coat before sliding out of mine and trotting after the others.

I slid into my seat next to Bella, slightly embarrassed. I leaned over to her discreetly. "I'm so going to get you for that." She grinned at me and winked again. In spite of the fact that we'd had sex the night before, it was going to kill me if I didn't get inside her soon.

Alice breezed in on Jasper's arm after about five minutes, looking totally gorgeous in a white sweater with black pants. She beamed at everyone and held out her left hand for Mom to ooh over. Jasper rolled his eyes but he was clearly loving this. He settled himself into the chair next to me while Cassie practically attacked Bella, gushing over how beautiful she was. I grinned my whole-hearted agreement.

Alice's parents walked in behind them with Jane and a guy I didn't recognize. Apparently Chris. The hugs and gushing continued. I was starting to get antsy now. I wanted to eat and get home so I could…well…yeah. I grinned at Bella and she rolled her eyes. She knew what I had in mind.

We ordered and waited for our meals. The service was slower than I remembered it ever being. But then, I didn't typically have a raging hard on due to my girlfriend sitting next to me without any underwear on. I scowled at my field salad and stabbed a carrot savagely. Bella put her hand on my knee under the table and squeezed it reassuringly.

I sighed and stood up, mumbled something about the bathroom and stalked off. I couldn't take this much longer. I was sorely tempted to go tend to things in the bathroom, since I wouldn't be able to pee for a while, but that felt wrong.

"Edward, wait." I turned and saw Bella coming towards me. She looked worried. "Are you ok?" she asked anxiously when she caught up to me.

I sighed. "I'm fine, just frustrated."

She looked confused for a second, then realization dawned on her face. "Oh." She flushed slightly. "Sorry."

I rolled my eyes and looked around me. We were in a deserted hallway so I grabbed her and kissed her hard. She returned it. It was a lot like the kiss this afternoon against my door. I groaned softly as her tongue met mine.

"I've got to fuck you soon or I'm going to explode," I breathed against her hair. She shivered slightly and looked up at me, her eyes dark.

"We can't just skip out on dinner," she said, biting her lip.

That did it. I knew this place pretty well, so I grabbed her wrist and pulled her along behind me upstairs to the bathrooms no one remembered were there in the winter. I pulled her inside the men's room and locked the door behind us. I pulled her against me again, kissing her hard as I pulled her skirt up around her waist. She somehow managed to get my belt and pants undone and shoved them down over my hips. I lifted her up and slammed into her roughly.

She gasped when I entered her, but wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. She ground against me. "Again," she groaned. I was happy to oblige.

I didn't last very long, but the initial release was what I needed. I got the impression that Bella needed it too. When I set her down, her legs almost gave out on her and I had to wrap my arms around her waist to keep her vertical. She smiled up at me lazily.

"So that's fucking," she sighed.

I grinned. "Yeah. Great, huh?"

She giggled softly then straightened her skirt. "I'm a little embarrassed I let you do that to me in a public bathroom," she admitted as she smoothed her hair and lightly splashed some water on her face. She grabbed some toilet paper and wiped herself carefully.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I felt a little bad about it. Not much, but a little."

She rolled her eyes and turned back to me, smoothing my hair for me. "We'll just not tell anyone. Our little secret and all that."

I grinned. "Fuck yeah." I kissed her lightly and studied her. "You look fine. How about me?"

"Relaxed," she grinned as we exited the bathroom. "But still perfect. Maybe they'll just think I gave you a blow job."

My step faltered and I almost fell. Fuck me she _was_ perfect.


	28. Chapter 28

Bella's POV

Alice had given me a knowing look when we returned from the bathroom at the club, but I didn't care. I smiled sweetly at her and took my seat. Our salads had been cleared and our entrees served. I ate my filet and potato hungrily. Edward seemed to enjoy his salmon quite a bit, too.

As we were hugging goodbye, Alice leaned over. "You totally fucked him," she whispered in my ear."

I grinned at her, not denying anything. "Where would I have done that?" I asked innocently.

She laughed and hooked her arm in mine. "Oh, there's a few places in this club that are pretty quiet and isolated. I could name a few prime locations."

I made a face at her. "You and Jasper are sexual deviants, you know."

She grinned. "Keeps things interesting." She winked at me as she climbed into the car with Jane, Chris and her parents, waving as they drove off.

"What was that about?" asked Edward as we climbed into his dad's Jag.

I snickered. "I'll tell you later."

He grinned back at me stupidly and nodded. I was discovering the power of sex over Edward and I had to admit, I kinda liked it.

The next morning we were up earlier than usual since Edward and his dad were going to the airport to pick up all the grandparents. His mom's mom, Grandma Riley, was flying in from New York and his dad's parents were flying in from Seattle. Somehow, they'd managed to coordinate their flights so that they were landing about 30 minutes apart. Esme and I were going to stay behind since there wouldn't be enough room in the car.

"So how are your parents doing?" she asked as we worked together in the kitchen preparing lunch for everyone. I felt almost as comfortable with her as I did with Cassie and Mom. We had an easy camaraderie that I was grateful for since Edward was an only child. It meant there'd always be a lot of focus on the two of us as long as we were together.

"They're good," I smiled. "I heard from Mom last night before we left. They're in Rome for the holidays and are absolutely loving it."

"Rome is beautiful," agreed Esme. "Carlisle and I spent some time there when Edward first went off to school."

"How did you two meet?" I asked curiously.

She laughed. "I was hanging up flyers at the hospital advertising piano lessons and he saw me. He actually took a few lessons before he had the courage to ask me out. He was a first year medical student and I was a sophomore in college." She smiled, her eyes distant with the memory. "We eloped on our first date and Edward was conceived that night."

I stared at her in shock. "Really?"

She nodded. "My family has a history of impulses when it comes to romance. My parents married three weeks after they met and I was born a year later, Carlisle's parents have a similar story. You might ask them about it." She winked at me.

I flushed. "How awkward would that be? 'Hi, you just met me and know nothing about me. Tell me your impulsive romance story.'"

Esme laughed. "They know plenty about you. Everything I've heard from Edward and Cassie and Linda I've passed on to the grandmothers. They'll have more questions I'm sure, but they know plenty."

"Oh, well that's fun." I brushed butter over the top of the rolls I'd just placed on the cookie sheet. "Wait, what all do you know?"

She smiled. "Nothing terribly embarrassing. I know you had an older brother who died a few years ago, where you grew up, where your parents are and what they do."

"Oh." I nodded. At least I could be spared the questions about Brad.

Edward's POV

I rolled over in the middle of the night and reached for Bella. Her absence was all it took to wake me up. I sat up, frowning into the darkness of the room. The clock on my nightstand said it was only about 5 am. A quick survey of the room told me she wasn't in the room at all. The light was out in the bathroom, so she wasn't in there. I crawled out of bed and headed downstairs, wondering if she got thirsty in the night.

I was headed to the kitchen when I heard a soft sob from the direction of the living room. I wandered in there, concerned. Too much weird shit happened to this girl. I stopped in the living room, at first not seeing her. I looked around anxiously, sure I'd heard the sound from in here. I paused when I saw her legs sticking out from under the tree.

"Bella?" I asked softly.

The sobs quieted for a minute and then the legs wiggled, slowly revealing Bella, her hair tousled and her face pink from crying.

"Babe, what's wrong?" I asked worried.

She gave me a wobbly smile and sighed. "It's stupid, really." She sat forward and hugged her legs, resting her cheek on her knees. "Christmas is a big deal in my family. It's my first one without my parents."

I nodded and dropped down to the floor beside her. She rested her head on my shoulder and took a shaky breath. "Brad and I used to sneak down at night and lie under the Christmas tree and talk about what we wanted for Christmas. It was like being in our own little fairy world with all the lights and sparkly ornaments." She shrugged gently against me. "I miss him is all."

I rubbed her shoulders gently. "I'll lie under the tree with you."

She laughed softly. "You don't have to, but thanks for offering."

"Bella, you know it's not an empty offer."

She nodded and looked up at me thoughtfully. "I do. But…I kind of want to keep that just a Brad and me thing. Is that ok?"

She looked so concerned I couldn't help but grin. "Of course that's ok. Whatever you need from me, you've got."

She smiled back at me and lifted herself a little to kiss me. "Thanks. You're beyond good to me."

I chuckled. "It's not like you don't deserve it."

She rolled her eyes at me and pulled away. "We should probably go back to bed now. The grandparents and parents will be up in a few hours for breakfast and presents and we should attempt to make an appearance at least."

I shrugged but stood up. "So how do you like them?"

She smiled and slipped her arm around my waist as we headed out of the room. "I love Grandma Riley. She's a hoot."

I chuckled. "She loves you, too. I can tell."

Her smile widened. "The Cullens are really nice too. I'm curious about their story. Your mom told me I should ask but it just felt weird."

I grinned at her. "You should definitely ask. It's great. I think they waited the longest to get married of anyone in the family and even then, it was only like, six months."

She pouted a little. "So you're not going to tell me either?"

"Nope." I tweaked her nose affectionately. I let go of her as she crawled into bed sleepily. "You get to find out some things on your own, little miss."

She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me as I crawled into the bed beside her. I kissed her lightly on the forehead and pulled her close against me. It didn't take too long before we both drifted off to sleep.

Bella's POV

Christmas morning came far too quickly for me since I'd been up at 4 am. I always woke up at 4 am on Christmas morning, even though I hadn't sat under a Christmas tree with Brad for years, I still went and did it by myself every year.

Luckily, there were no little kids running around so we didn't have to jump into the gifts immediately. We sat and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with the grandparents telling me stories about Edward as a kid. Grandma Riley even had pictures she was showing me of Edward running around naked one Christmas when he got superhero underpants. He'd stripped down immediately to put them on and ran around in circles excitedly until someone was able to open the packaging for him.

I looked over at Edward, a huge grin on my face and he rolled his eyes at me, a little pink. My grin widened. I'd seen it all at this point, so seeing him as a naked 4 year old was just endearing. I chuckled softly and squeezed his knee, standing to excuse myself to the kitchen.

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked Esme as I came in.

She smiled at me. The woman looked amazingly put together at 10 in the morning. I kind of hated her for that.

"No, I'm fine for now. Maybe later, though. I'll need some help putting the food on the table for dinner."

I nodded and snitched a chunk of apple out of a pie and popped it into my mouth. She grinned at me and shook her head.

"I swear, Edward is rubbing off on you."

I laughed. "Could be worse. At least I've rubbed off on him some, too."

She laughed, too. "Yes, thank goodness for that. So" her eyes sparkled "did you ask Carlisle's parents about their story?"

I flushed. "No. I feel weird about it. Plus I'm not sure how to bring it up."

She laughed. "Well come on then. You'll like this." She wrapped her arm around my waist and we walked into the breakfast room where Edward was grinning at something Granddad Cullen had just said. "Ed, Susan, Bella would love to hear your love story," Esme announced, pushing me forward a little before winking at me and heading back into the kitchen with some more dirty dishes.

Ed grinned and leaned forward. "I think it's a pretty great story, myself. We met at the beginning of the war at a USO dance in New York City."

"We were both there on leave," Susan broke in. "I was a WAC and he was in the Army."

I looked at them with surprise. "You both served in the war?"

She nodded proudly. "My parents were so upset with me for joining but I wanted to do my part, more than sacrificing and planting gardens. We were at the dance and most of the men were dancing with the civilian girls so I was sitting along a back wall, fuming because no one would ask me to dance."

"The civilian girls decided if the enlisted girls didn't get to dance, they wouldn't either," Ed jumped in again. "So it didn't take too long before all the girls were sitting on one side and nothing we boys could say or do would get them up. Finally we got together and picked our sacrificial lamb to go pick a WAC to dance. It was me and I picked Sue."

Sue smiled at him affectionately. "I thought he was so arrogant, assuming I would just fall over myself to dance with him, but I did it anyway because I knew how much the others wanted to dance."

"She called me lots of names on the dance floor and I had some nasty barbs for her in return." They were both grinning at this. "We ended up kissing at the end of the night and realized that there was more there. We exchanged addresses and started writing letters."

"We were both stationed in New York for a while so we could meet up for lunch or a movie once in a while."

"Though we never really saw the movies."

"Then I got my orders to ship out to Europe and I didn't want to leave her behind with nothing, so I proposed and we got married the same day at the courthouse."

"That was 1942." Sue had a faraway look in her eyes. "The next time we saw each other was Christmas 1945."

I stared at her in shock. "You didn't see each other for three years?"

"It was closer to four if you think about it," Ed grinned. "It was strange coming home to a wife I only knew through letters. We had to reacquaint ourselves. That's why we didn't have Carlisle's older brother, Roger, for 10 years. We didn't really know each other."

I stared at them in amazement. "So you got married on a whim, wrote letters all through the war, and then came home to a spouse you didn't know. And you're still married 60-odd years later."

Ed nodded with a grin. "We're both stubborn as mules and neither of us was willing to give up. Plus you have to realize, in the 40's and 50's, divorce wasn't as acceptable as it is today. By the time the 70's rolled around and it was more 'popular', we were used to each other."

I shook my head with amazement. "That's so cool."

They grinned at each other, completely oblivious to the rest of us for a moment. Ed leaned in and kissed Sue gently on the forehead. "Best whim I ever had," he said affectionately.

"Presents!" announced Carlisle, coming in from the living room with a huge grin on his face.

The moment broken, we all laughed and joined him in the family living room. Edward pulled me onto a small loveseat next to him. I snuggled against his chest and smiled up at him. "You have some pretty great love stories in your family."

He nodded. "It gives me a lot to live up to," he admitted. "Sometimes that's pretty damn intimidating."

I laughed. "You just need to find the right girl is all."

He gave me a funny look then kissed my temple and turned his attention back to his dad. Carlisle was now wearing a silly looking Santa hat and was eagerly passing out gifts. He looked more excited about this than anyone else. I was surprised when a beautifully wrapped package was dropped in my lap from Grandma Riley.

I looked at her with a smile. "You didn't have to get me anything," I protested.

She waved her hand dismissively. "It's nothing much, just something I thought you might like." She smiled mischievously and turned to her own present.

I raised an eyebrow at Edward who shrugged. "Open and see what it is."

I tore the paper off, not caring to save it like some people and grinned when I saw a framed picture of Edward as a little kid. He was covered in something red, a popsicle if the stick in his hand was any indication, and his bronze hair was standing on end while he grinned at the camera. I looked up at him. "This is so going on my nightstand."

He laughed. "Pedophile," he murmured, kissing my ear.

I shivered slightly and grinned up at him. I got a beautiful journal from the older Cullens and a sweater coat from Edward's parents. When I finished opening that, I sat back, wearing the sweater and sighed contentedly. Not a bad Christmas.

"You haven't opened my gifts yet," Edward pointed to two wrapped packages at my feet.

I rolled my eyes and leaned down. I'd missed them completely. The first was a box of fudge from the store in the downtown square. I immediately broke off a chunk and popped it in my mouth, then fed one to Edward. He grinned and sighed softly.

"That shit is awesome."

I grinned at him and started on the second gift. I gasped when I saw the book of Poe stories I'd lusted over in August. I looked up at him. "Edward," I said softly. "You shouldn't have."

"Of course I should have," he said indignantly. "I know you like Poe and this book is perfect because I know you wanted it."

I leaned over and kissed him lightly. "Thank you so much," I breathed. I grinned at him. "My gift totally sucks compared to this."

He laughed and tore the paper off the small box. He opened it and frowned. "What's this?"

"Have you ever heard of South by Southwest?" I asked, shifting in my seat. "It's a big music and film festival held every March in Austin. I bought us tickets."

He stared at me. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "It's a lot of fun and you get to hear bands and see movies you might not otherwise. I thought you might like to go."

"Bella, this must have cost a shit-ton of money."

I shrugged. "I go every year, so I already had mine. It's over our Spring Break this year, so we've already got the time off from school. My parents said we could stay at the house there, we just have to get there and with everyone going, we can just drive straight down."

His jaw dropped. "Everyone's going?"

I nodded, grinning at him. "Emmett, Alice, and Jasper all have their tickets. I think Emmett's going to try to convince Rosalie to go, too."

"Wow. This is going to be awesome." He leaned forward and kissed me again. "You are the best girlfriend ever."

I laughed. "You just keep thinking that."

Edward's POV

South by Southwest tickets. Damn. The girl was good. I was a little embarrassed by my book and fudge now, but as soon as Christmas dinner was over and everything cleared away, she curled up in the window seat in the living room with the book and the fudge and started to read. I grabbed a book out of my room and sat across from her, wriggling my feet up under her blanket and helping myself to the fudge. We sat in quiet companionship for awhile while everyone else napped. After about an hour or so, she snapped the book closed and looked at me expectantly.

"Now seems like a good time for you to make good on a promise you made me."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "What promise?"

She wriggled her fingers in the air. "Playing the piano."

I grinned. "Alright, let's do it then, but you have to play too, remember."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll play chopsticks."

We put our books on the seat and headed to the formal living room. Bella sat down at the piano, her back straight and her hand poised perfectly over the keys. She winked at me and started playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

I grinned and nudged her over as I sat down beside her. I studied the keys for a minute before taking a deep breath.

"Ok. I haven't played in a while, so keep that in mind."

She smiled up at me. "I'm sure you'll be wonderful."

I grinned at the keys and took another deep breath before starting on _Fantaisie Impromptu_. Bella sat silently beside me while I played. I winced to myself the few times I hit a wrong note but managed to make it through fairly well. When I finished we sat in silence for a while.

Bella finally sighed. "That was amazing. Play something else?"

I grinned and started playing again. I played everything I could remember, finally finishing with Chopsticks.

Bella laughed and leaned over to kiss me. "You are phenomenal. Too bad there's not tons of money in playing the piano."

I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around her. "I don't need tons of money, just the adoration of the girl."

"Well, you've got that in spades." She kissed me again and smiled. "We should go get ready for the fancy dinner you're taking me to tonight."

I laughed and released her. I was amazed the restaurant was open on Christmas Day, but wasn't going to complain. We were heading home tomorrow so tonight was our last chance to use her gift certificate. I knew it wouldn't cover everything and was secretly happy about that. I wanted a chance to take her out and impress her.

***

Tali: So, ok, I lived in Austin for two years and never went to SXSW. Anyone been? Willing to share stories with me? I can look up details and locations and stuff like that online but the personal experience part is what I'm lacking. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!


	29. Chapter 29

Bella's POV

I leaned back in the silence of the car and sighed softly. "That food was so good."

Edward murmured in agreement. "It was really nice of the Bonner's to give you that gift certificate."

I nodded and closed my eyes. I'd eaten way too much but it had been SO good. I rubbed my stomach and groaned softly.

Edward chuckled in the darkness as he drove. "Full?"

"A bit, yeah." I grinned at him.

We pulled up to the house as a light snow began to fall. I stood for a moment, my arms out and my face lifted. I could hear Edward chuckling beside me and I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"What?"

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around me, kissing my nose. "Nothing, you just look like some kind of angel in the snow." He pushed my hair back over my shoulders and smiled down at me. "I love how it looks in your hair."

I rolled my eyes. "Like dandruff."

He laughed and kissed me again. "No, like jewels on velvet."

I grinned up at him. "Such a sap."

He grinned. "You know you love it." He scooped me up and carried me inside and upstairs to our room.

While we were packing to go back home the next morning, Grandma Riley knocked on our door. Edward opened it and looked surprised when she insisted he come help her in her room. He rolled his eyes and followed her out of the room. I grabbed a suitcase and lugged it downstairs.

When Edward reappeared, he had a strange look on his face.

"What's up?" I asked curiously as I checked the bathroom one last time.

"Nothing. She just wanted to talk to me for a second in private."

I raised my eyebrows. "What about?"

"Family stuff."

Obviously he wasn't going to tell me. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my purse. Edward grabbed the other packed suitcases and we headed down together.

We left in a flurry of hugs and well wishes and demands of promises of visits.

The drive home was quiet. Edward was obviously distracted by something and I was too tired to push it. I slept most of the way and Jasper and Alice chatted quietly with each other.

Edward's POV

"Edward, could you come help me with something in my room?" I frowned down at Grandma Riley with confusion.

"Um, sure." I looked over at Bella and she grinned.

"I'll get the last of this. Go help."

I followed Grandma Riley's peach colored hair down the hall to her room. She pushed the door shut behind me and pointed to an armchair in the corner.

"Sit," she ordered me. I did and looked up at her expectantly. "I have something for you that I want you to give Bella."

I looked at her in confusion. "Why don't you give it to her? She'd welcome it I'm sure."

She clucked her tongue impatiently. "Would you just be patient for a minute and let me give it to you first?"

I nodded and watched as she rummaged through her suitcase for a minute before pulling out a small white suede box. She held it for a minute before walking over and handing it to me. Her eyes were clouded with tears. "Your grandfather gave this to me longer ago than I care to admit. It's been passed down in his family for generations and now it's yours."

Now I was really fucking confused. I took the box carefully and opened it. My breath stopped when I saw the ring inside. It was Grandma's engagement ring.

It was a delicate silver band with a vine engraved in it. The stone was a beautiful diamond that I knew for a fact was flawless.

When I had been a kid, I'd asked about the ring once. It turned out that somewhere generations back, a rich man had bought the ring as an engagement ring for his bride. She died giving birth to their only child, a son. The son then gave the ring to his bride. It continued on in that vein, grandmothers giving the ring to grandsons when the life expectancy got longer. I'd known since then that one day the ring would be mine to give to my bride, but at the time, the thought of kissing girls had been pretty awful. None of the girls I'd dated really fit the ring until now. I knew this ring was perfect for Bella.

"If you don't marry that girl, you're not as smart as I tell people you are," said Grandma suddenly, breaking into my thoughts. "You've got a real winner there, Edward. She put up with your shenanigans in regards to Rosalie, she took all of us in stride, she even gave you sex in a public bathroom."

My head snapped up in shock. She rolled her eyes. "Your mother told me. It was pretty obvious to everyone at the table, you know." She eyed me for a second. "If I hadn't jumped your grandfather on our first date I'd scold you for that one, but at least you were in private. I think we were in the coat room at Giorgio's." I grimaced and she laughed. "Get used to it, sex in inappropriate places is a family trait. So is knowing soon who you're going to marry." She took my face in her hands and studied me for a minute. "She's the right one for you and if you can't see that I may have to come down to Decatur and slap you." She patted my cheek and kissed my forehead affectionately. "Now, go home and propose to that girl."

I smiled. "I will, but not now. I think we need to date a little longer for her parents' comfort."

Grandma waved her hand dismissively. "They'll get over it."

I grinned and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks, Grandma," I said softly.

The rest of the day I was mulling it all over in my head. Was 5 weeks too soon to propose? I wasn't really sure, to be honest. We'd known each other for four months now and we lived together so we spent every waking second at home together. I felt like I could do it now but I wasn't sure about Bella. She was only 19 after all. Would she really want to marry me? I had to admit, the idea of marrying her and raising children with her was definitely appealing. But then reality hit and I remembered things like medical school and the fact that Bella still had three years left at Millikin. Weddings were expensive, based on what I overheard from Jasper and Alice's conversation on the way home.

I ate silently with the others and when they headed downstairs for a movie, I went to bed. Bella looked up at me startled. If one of us went to bed first, it was typically her. The others knew we were sleeping together, how could they not, but she still liked that little bit of secretiveness where they didn't see us mauling each other in public. Or, the public that was the basement.

I lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. The white box was stuffed in my underwear drawer for now but it felt like it was taunting me.

"Edward?"

I pushed myself up and saw Bella standing by the stairs, looking at me with concern.

"Are you ok?" she crossed the room and sat next to me, lightly putting her hand on my forehead like she was checking for a fever.

I grinned at her. "Yeah, just tired. I have a lot on my mind is all."

"Anything I can help with?"

I sighed. "No, not really. Just some shit I need to work out on my own."

She nodded and combed her fingers through my hair lightly. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling.

"You want me to sleep in my room tonight?" she asked softly. She wasn't upset, just honestly asking if I needed some privacy.

I opened my eyes and shook my head. "No, I want you here. I just felt like being alone for a bit."

She nodded and rested her hand on my neck. "Well, the movie's almost over. I'll come up after, ok?"

I nodded and pulled her to me for a kiss. She smiled against my lips and then left just as quietly as she'd come in.

As I watched her go, I realized I wanted forever with her, but that I wasn't sure I could ask her to get engaged so young. Maybe a promise ring instead of an engagement ring? That just sounded so…high school. I sighed and thumped the pillow as I lay back down.

I drifted in and out of sleep until I felt the mattress sag slightly under her weight a couple hours later as she snuggled up against my back, pressing a kiss to my shoulder blade. Then I slept like the proverbial baby.


	30. Chapter 30

Bella's POV

I scowled at the papers in front of me. It was ridiculous, really, how much homework I already had. It was the first week of school, for crying out loud! I hated college sometimes. I grunted and threw my pencil across the room, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at the falling snow outside like a petulant child.

"Problems?"

I looked up and grinned in spite of myself at Alice as she came into my room and stretched out on my bed.

"No, just asinine amounts of homework. Seriously, I've already got two papers to write! It's the first week of school!"

She laughed. "Welcome to college."

I rolled my eyes. "So to what do I owe this pleasure?"

She shrugged and studied her nails for a bit. "We're talking about having a movie marathon next weekend since its Martin Luther King Jr. and we'll have a three day weekend. I came to get your thoughts on the theme. Oh, and see if you could cook something to go with it."

I raised my eyebrows. "Ok. What are my options?"

"Creature features, cult classics, comic book movies, vampire movies, and true stories."

"Well, ugh to comic book movies. I can watch a couple of those at a time, but I'm not sure I'm up for a full out marathon. Creature features could be fun, have you ever seen _Skeeter_?"

She shook her head and I grinned. "Oh, it's hysterical. On a trip to Colorado Springs once, my parents left me and Brad behind in the hotel and we ended up watching a marathon of creature features, most completely forgettable but _Skeeter_ was awesome."

She grinned. "Ok, so that's your first choice?"

I thought for a minute. "Sure. I mean, I'm really up for whatever. I'm not sure I could do a theme meal with any of it, but we'll figure something out."

She nodded and patted the bed next to her. "We should talk about you and Eddie boy."

I rolled my eyes but the alternative was homework so I joined her on the bed. We lay on our backs and stared up at the ceiling.

"So how're things going anyway?"

I grinned. "Awesome. He loved the SXSW tickets I got him and he got me fudge and a book I really wanted for Christmas."

"Parents and grandparents?"

I laughed. "Love me."

"Of course." she rolled her head to the side and grinned at me. "Who wouldn't love you? You're fucking adorable."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide the smile that was creeping across my face.

"Has he said the L word yet?"

I shook my head and laughed. "Shit, Alice, it's only been like, two months."

Her eyes widened. "Did you just swear? My poor little naïve Bella is becoming corrupted."

I laughed. "Yeah, y'all are rubbing off on me."

"So no to the L word, then."

I shook my head. "Not on either end."

"Do you feel it, though?"

I lay there and contemplated that one for a bit. "I'm not sure," I admitted. "I thought I loved my last boyfriend. I would have married him, even though we were only 18. We talked about it, actually."

At that, Alice raised herself up on one elbow interestedly. "Really? And you still didn't have sex with him?"

I laughed. "No. Love doesn't mean sex, Alice. Sex is a natural outcome of love, but the one is not necessary for the other."

She huffed but lay back down beside me. "So what happened?"

I shrugged. "We broke up at the beginning of the summer and spent all summer learning to be just friends. I came up here and met Edward."

"And him?"

I toyed with a strand of hair thoughtfully. "I think Angela said he's dating some girl named Leah he met at school."

"Does that bother you?"

I looked over at her and laughed. "What are you, Dr. Alice now?" I teased. "I don't really have a right to be bothered by it do I?"

She shrugged. "You were with him for a while, right? And I'm just being a good friend. If you don't talk about this shit it'll just fester and cause cancer."

I laughed. "Well, thanks for keeping me from getting cancer, then." I grinned at her.

"No problem." She reached over and rubbed my stomach. "Ready for cooking dinner?"

I made a face. "If it keeps me from homework, then hell yeah."

She laughed and we headed downstairs.

Edward's POV

"So how was your Christmas?" asked Emmett, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he attempted to kick my ass at some fighting game.

I shrugged and got in a punch. "Not bad. Bella got me those tickets for SXSW. That was pretty bitchin'."

Emmett grinned. "I'm looking forward to that. I think I've got Rosalie on board to go."

I shook my head. "I do NOT get you two. I never would have put you together."

He shrugged. "I told you I think bitchy women are hot. She needed someone to push around who'd push back I guess. Who knows."

I chuckled. "Well, you have definitely brought out the softer side of her. She's actually kind of fun to be around these days."

He grinned. "Good sex will do that for a girl." I reached over and punched him hard in the arm. He winced. "Damn, kidding."

I made a face at him. "You don't feel weird knowing that she and I were together for three years?"

He shrugged. "I did at first, but I got over it pretty quickly."

I grinned and shook my head. "I'm kind of glad Bella was a virgin. No weird 'Dude your cock was inside my girlfriend' shit to deal with."

"Shit, Bella's a virgin?" Emmett abandoned the game and looked at me in shock.

I winced. That was not a fact that Bella had exactly wanted to pass around. "Um…she _was_…" I hedged.

Emmett put the controller down and turned to face me. "What's it like?"

"Dude, not having this conversation," I muttered, killing him in the game. My character kept kicking his character's corpse.

"Please?" he whined. "I've never had sex with a virgin."

"So go find one," I said annoyed, jumping on his character's head until it exploded satisfactorily.

He sat back in his chair with a pout. "Shit, why'd you go all PMS on my dude?"

"You're lucky I didn't go PMS on your junk," I retorted.

He laughed. "So if you're not going to tell me about the sex, tell me something else. I need to have my woman time with you. We haven't had woman time in a while."

"Shit, woman time?" We both turned as Jasper dropped onto the love seat and looked at us skeptically. "Did I miss the part where you two grew vaginas?"

"Edward won't tell me about sex with Bella."

"Well, I won't tell you about sex with Alice," Jasper pointed out.

"I don't get why. I'll tell you about sex with Rosalie."

"No one wants to hear about your sex life," I muttered, kicking Emmett's corpse again for good measure.

Jasper snickered at the hurt look on Emmett's face. "Look, Em, some guys have tact and don't go spilling the beans on everything. And some guys manage to survive quite well without vaginas and woman time with their guy friends. I happen to believe that we're those guys. That's why we have actual women."

Emmett shrugged and restarted the game, grabbing another controller and passing it to Jasper. "I just want to keep up with you assholes. We haven't talked in a while since Bella and Rosalie became permanent fixtures to our dicks and Jasper cut his off and handed it to Alice."

I winced again. "Classy, Em."

He looked at me expectantly. "So what's up with you anyway?"

I sighed. "I've got a ring for Bella."

There was dead silence in the room.

"Shut the fuck up," Emmett whispered.

Jasper was staring at me, his eyes as big as saucers. "You're going to fucking propose?"

I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "I didn't say I was going to propose, I just said I had a ring. It's a family heirloom that my grandmother gave me over the holiday."

"Well, where is it?" demanded Jasper. "I have to approve the ring, you know."

"What the fuck? Why does he have to approve it? I want to have to approve something."

I gritted my teeth. "It's upstairs. What, you think I'm going to carry it around all the time?"

Jasper shrugged. "I probably would have if I hadn't proposed to Alice the day after I bought the damn thing."

"I wanna see it," Emmett was practically bouncing in his seat like a little kid.

I turned on him. "Would you chill the fuck out? What are you, four?"

"I feel left out of everything," he shrugged. "You get to be the best man, you two have known each other for fuckever and Alice is with Jasper and Bella's family and with you. I'm the odd man out."

I sighed. "Ok fine. We'll have some woman time and we'll hang out more, but you must chill. I don't want Bella to know about the ring until I'm sure what I want to do with it."

"What else is there to do with an engagement ring?" asked Jasper curiously.

I sighed. "Just come see the damn thing." I tossed my controller on the coffee table and stood up, heading upstairs. I heard the others behind me on the stairs and I stopped suddenly as I entered the kitchen.

Bella and Alice were standing in the kitchen talking. They looked up as we entered and I felt like I'd been caught naked. Bella raised her eyebrows at me.

"Need something?" she asked, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Um, nothing." I stood there, Emmett poking me in the back with his finger.

Alice narrowed her eyes at me. "Something's going on," she announced. "I can smell it."

I shot her a warning glare. "Nothing's going on. I just wanted to show these two …something in my room."

Bella grinned in earnest then. "Something in your room? Something naughty?"

I scowled at her. "No, something…else."

She and Alice exchanged a look and I sighed and stalked past them. I hadn't even thought to double check Bella wasn't in the house. Idiot. Jasper and Emmett followed me upstairs, laughing at my failed explanation. I shut the door behind them at the foot of the stairs and locked it as we headed up. I pointed to the bed where they sat, looking up at me expectantly. I rolled my eyes and dug the ring box out of the drawer and tossed it to Emmett first.

He caught it in the air and opened it up. He studied it for a minute and then looked at me.

"What am I supposed to do?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. Girls generally squeal and try on each other's rings. I don't think guys generally care."

Emmett pulled the ring out of the box and wiggled it onto his pinky, holding it up so that the last light of the day caught the diamond. "Oh Edward, it's gorgeous," he squealed in a high pitched girly voice.

Jasper punched him on the arm. "Don't do that EVER again," he muttered. "Freaky." He leaned over and took Emmett's hand to study the ring. "It is nice, though Edward. Good job."

I shrugged and took it back and redeposited it in its hiding place. "I didn't really pick it. It's a family heirloom, but I think it's perfect for Bella anyway."

I dropped onto the bed beside Jasper. We all sat in silence for a bit.

"So, what are you going to tell Bella you were showing us?" asked Emmett after a minute.

I groaned and lay back across the bed. "A cd?"

"Good luck with that," laughed Jasper as he stood up. "Come on, whatever they were cooking smells phenomenal and I'm starving."


	31. Chapter 31

Bella's POV

I frowned as I browsed through the video store. Emmett was on one side while Edward was on the other. "Ok, explain to me again how we arrived at the 'logical' conclusion that the marathon should be vampire movies."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "It's Martin Luther King Jr. Day." He said it like this would explain everything.

I stared up at him blankly. "Maybe I missed something. What does Martin Luther King have to do with vampires?"

"He's dead."

"Check."

"Vampires are the _un_-dead."

I frowned. "Also check."

He looked at me like it was all so clear. I turned from him and looked at Edward. "A little help here?"

He shrugged. "We couldn't think of enough cult classics, no one was really into superhero movies but Emmett, and the true stories tend to be boring. We had more great vampire movies in mind than creature features so here we are."

I sighed and shook my head. "Then why am I here with you losers? My movie is at home already."

"Because there's a specific one that I want and I can't find it," pouted Emmett. "When I find it, though, I'm totally stealing it and keeping it forever."

I rolled my eyes. "Ok, Sticky Fingers. What are we looking for again?"

"_Jesus Christ, Vampire Slayer_."

Edward and I both turned to stare at him. "Shut the front door, seriously?" I demanded.

He nodded, a huge grin on his face. "It kicks ass. You'll love it."

I started laughing and looked up at Edward. "What's yours?"

He grinned. "You'll have to wait and find out."

I made a face at him and turned to get Emmett to tell me. He was holding up a disc triumphantly. "I got it! Let's go. Rose should be at the house by now."

I grinned and followed him to the desk. Edward wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on my head. "Not even a clue?" I asked coyly.

"Sure. It's got vampires in it."

I elbowed him playfully and followed Emmett out into the snow. Alice and Jasper were already in the car, having run into the grocery store in the same little square area to stock up on snacks and beer.

The main meal for the evening was tomato soup with my special grilled cheese sandwiches that included five types of cheese and garlic. I couldn't think of anything else so that was our theme meal. We were carrying everything downstairs when Rosalie appeared at the basement door, her cheeks flushed from the cold and snowflakes in her hair. She looked like some kind of angel who'd fallen to earth. I kind of hated her for that. Just a little. Otherwise, we were actually pretty cool.

"It's really starting to come down out there," she grinned, kissing Emmett lightly as he helped her out of her coat. "I think we might be snowed in."

Emmett grinned. "I think I can handle that."

I rolled my eyes and offered Rosalie a bowl. She took it and smiled at me. "Thanks, Bella."

I grinned back at her. Since she'd been with Emmett, she'd definitely been easier to be around, dare I say fun even. She knew just how to put him in his place and he her. They were great together and there wasn't much of that awkward post break up tension between her and Edward, much to everyone's relief.

Rosalie settled herself beside me on the couch with her soup and a sandwich. Emmett was at her feet like a little puppy and Edward was on my other side while Jasper and Alice claimed the loveseat. We put in the first movie, Rosalie's, and settled back to enjoy.

She'd picked _Interview with a Vampire_ and she and Alice fairly swooned over Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in the movie. I rolled my eyes. They looked better without all the pale makeup and fake teeth.

The next movie was Jasper's, _Once Bitten_. Everyone was falling over themselves laughing over how awful the movie was and at how young Jim Carrey looked. After that one ended, we took a stretch break and headed upstairs to clean up some.

I stood at the back door and looked out at the snow falling lightly, covering everything with a blanket of white. Edward came over and held me from behind like he had in the movie store. I put my hands on his and rested my cheek against his arm.

"Beautiful, huh," he smiled at our reflection in the glass.

I grinned. "It really is. I don't get to see snow like this back home."

He chuckled. "So you should take advantage of it then. Let's have a snow fight."

I laughed. "It's 1 in the morning, Edward."

He shrugged. "So?" he released me and turned to the others who were in the kitchen. "Bella wants a snow fight. They don't have snow in Texas."

Rosalie grinned. "I'm for girls against boys. We'll totally kick your asses." She grabbed Alice's hand and opened the door, dragging her out into the cold. Alice laughed and grabbed my hand. I shot Edward a look and followed behind them.

It was freezing outside and none of us were wearing coats, but we were running and laughing so much, ducking some well aimed snowballs, that we didn't really notice the cold that much. I was crouched behind a tree, shivering and grinning as I watched Emmett try to sneak up on an unsuspecting Jasper. It had pretty much dissolved into an all out war before too long and it was every man for himself. I jumped up when I saw my opportunity and launched myself at Emmett, catching him off guard and managing to knock him into the snow.

"What the hell?" he laughed, rolling and grabbing me, pulling me down with him.

I screamed and laughed as I collapsed on him. Rosalie grinned and smashed some snow in his face playfully. Edward was grinning as he shoved a handful down my shirt. I squawked and jumped up, dancing around to get the snow off my skin. I shot him a glare and then took off after him, tackling him around the corner from the others. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me.

"Gotcha."

I rolled my eyes and pushed off of him. "Let's go back in before we all freeze to death." My teeth were chattering by now and my toes and fingers had long since gone numb.

He grinned and scooped me up and carried me back inside. The others had the same idea and we all sat in the kitchen, waiting for water to boil for tea and hot cocoa.

"So what's up next?" asked Alice, attempting to toss mini-marshmallows into Emmett's mouth across the table and missing most of the time.

"We've got _Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Underworld, Jesus Christ, Vampire Slayer, _and_ From Dusk til Dawn_ left." Emmett ticked off the movies on his fingers.

"Well, I'm of course voting for my choice, Buffy," smiled Alice as she finally got one in Emmett's mouth.

I frowned. "No one chose _Dracula_?" I asked. "That's like, the beginning of it all."

"I know, right?" Rosalie picked up a marshmallow from the table and popped it in her own mouth. "That book was so great and the movie…completely sexy."

I grinned at her. "You've read the book?"

She laughed. "Yeah. If there's a book before a movie, I have to read the book. I'm weird like that."

"It's a good book," I smiled. "I've just never met anyone else who's read it."

She grinned back at me. "Me either. What was your favorite part?"

I sighed. "It's been ages…I liked that whole weird passage about laughing though, how you can't always control it even when it comes at weir times."

She nodded enthusiastically. "That was my AIM away message for years in high school."

I laughed. "Nice."

"Wait, I thought Dracula was like, old and creepy. Sexy never entered my head when I thought about him." Alice looked confused. "I mean, did you see what he looked like in _Dracula_?"

I frowned at her. "Did you _see_ _Dracula?_ Alice, the movie is full of sex. Dracula is the ultimate predator: sexy, charismatic, impossible to resist."

"Sounds like me," grinned Emmett from his seat. Rosalie pushed his head playfully.

"I'll bring it next time I come and we can watch it."

I grinned. "Awesome."

"Ok. So what are we watching next?" demanded Jasper, passing out mugs with hot water and bags of cocoa and tea.

"We've done a drama and a comedy, let's do action," decided Emmett. "We'll watch_ Underworld_."

We all trooped downstairs and settled into our seats. I'd never seen it and wasn't terribly impressed with the movie, to be honest. After it ended we sat around talking for a bit.

"Ok, question," Emmett grinned, shifting Rosalie on his lap slightly. "Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?"

"I think they were called lichen or something like that," corrected Alice.

Jasper laughed. "Lycans, babe. Lichen is moss."

She made a face at him. "Whatever."

Emmett raised his eyebrows. "Vampire or werewolf?"

There was silence for a moment. "I think a vampire," said Jasper finally. "Living forever might not be too bad."

"Yeah, but you have to drink blood," Rosalie wrinkled her nose.

"There's the eternal youth and beauty, if you follow some of the stories," I pointed out.

She nodded, thoughtful. "That's true. But I'd miss garlic and the sun. And silver. I love silver jewelry."

"I think silver's only bad for werewolves," I grinned.

She shrugged. "So I don't really want to be either."

We laughed and I looked up at Edward. "What about you?"

He scratched his head thoughtfully. "I guess what it comes down to is how you become one or the other. The transformation to vampire is once, right? After a bite?"

We all nodded. All the films seemed to agree on this point at least.

"And a werewolf, you're either bitten or scratched or whatever and you change all the time, once a month, for the rest of your life. That would suck."

"Yes, but otherwise, you're normal," I pointed out. "You can have a life except for once a month and really, that's like being a woman."

There were laughs at that. Edward grinned down at me. "But the changing thing looks seriously painful. I mean, did you see _An American Werewolf in Paris_ or whatever that was where the guy like, morphed into a wolf? That was messed up."

I shrugged. "But would you want to live forever and watch your loved ones grow old and die? You've got youth, beauty, riches, but you're alone."

Alice waved her hand dismissively. "I'd change all my loved ones into vampires."

Emmett grinned. "Fuck yeah. We'd start our own little vampire club."

I laughed. "So you'd all be vampires?"

Everyone looked around and nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." Edward looked down at me. "You wouldn't?"

I shrugged. "I've always wanted a family and it seems like vampires can't do that."

Rosalie sat forward. "I forgot about that. Ok, I change my answer to werewolf but only so I can have kids."

I grinned at her. "We'll start our own pack and find some hot werewolf guys to have puppies with."

She laughed and settled back against Emmett.

Edward's POV

Bella was leaning against me as we finished watched the last scene of _From Dusk til Dawn_. She yawned and sat up. "And that, my friends, is that."

The others mumbled their agreement and we clicked the TV off and all stood, stretching. Bella looked over at Rosalie casually.

"Rosalie, do you have any plans for Spring Break?"

Rosalie's eyes widened. "Not really. Emmett's trying to get me to come with you all to Texas for that event but I'm not too sure about it."

"Well, you should come if you can. My parents have a huge house and we'll have lots of fun. My friends will be there, too and Jane's coming, right Alice?"

Alice nodded, confused. We all were. Emmett had been talking about Rosalie coming but no one actually thought Bella would be ok with it. Bella shrugged.

"You're definitely welcome is all I'm saying Rosalie. We'll have a blast and you should get to come have fun with us. It's college, live it up."

Rosalie grinned. "Well, if you're all ok with it…" she looked around and we nodded and smiled in turn. This Rosalie was a lot more fun than the one I'd dated. I almost wondered if it was truly the same Rosalie. "I'd love to come." She beamed at us.

Emmett picked that moment to toss Rosalie over his should in a fireman's carry and slap her ass. She laughed as he saluted us and headed back to his room.

"Good night," she laughed as he shut the door behind them.

Bella gave me a look. "Don't even think about it."

I grinned innocently and offered her my arm. When she took it, I slid my arm behind her back and picked her up in a bridal carry and started up the stairs.

"Do it and you'll die alone and miserable," we heard Alice behind us warning Jasper.

Bella looked up at me as I climbed the stairs to her room. "Are you ok with me inviting Rosalie?" she asked curiously.

I shrugged. "It's your house."

"It's your Christmas present."

I was quiet. "I'm ok with it, I just don't want anyone else to be uncomfortable about there being exes present."

She sighed and dropped out of my arms. "Well, there will be exes present either way. My ex, Jake, is going to be there with his new girlfriend, Leah."

I raised my eyebrows. "Ok. Are you ok with that?"

She laughed. "Yes, I'm ok with everything. Jake and Leah are staying at his parents' place, Angela and Ben at their respective houses, it's our house that'll be the party house with the seven of us crammed in."

I grinned. "You have a pool?"

"Yep. And a hot tub." She winked at me and pulled some flannel pajamas out of the drawer and pulled them on. She'd gotten over the shyness around me, I was proud to say.

I crawled into bed and pulled her against me. She sighed and snuggled in. it was definitely cozy with the snow still falling outside as dawn started to peek over the horizon. I kissed her forehead and grinned at the dark wall. Things couldn't be better.


	32. Chapter 32

February

Edward's POV

I dropped my bag on the floor and threw myself onto the couch with a groan. "I hate my life right now."

"What's wrong," asked Alice. I jumped. I hadn't seen her in the other armchair.

I looked at her annoyed. "You need a bell or something so you can't sneak up on me like that."

She raised her eyebrows. "I was here first, fucktard."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Whatever."

"So why do you hate your life?"

I sighed. "Work and school are kicking my butt a little and I've got the MCAT first week of April and I don't feel like I've got enough time to study for that." Plus the fact that the guys kept needling me about when I was going to propose. I hadn't even decided I _would_ propose, let alone when or how I'd do it.

"Well, maybe this weekend will be a nice time to just relax and forget about all that."

I frowned. "What's happening this weekend?"

She stared at me. "You're joking, right?"

"About what?" I asked annoyed.

"Shit, Edward. Valentine's Day."

I groaned. I'd completely forgotten. "Any chance Bella's one of those girls who doesn't like Valentine's Day?"

She gave me a look. "Doesn't matter if she is, you have to do something. It's your first Valentine's together. Even if you just do dinner or something."

I sat up. "Dinner is achievable."

She snorted. "Not around here it's not. Every place is going to be packed and any nice restaurants have been full for weeks. You'd have to take her out of town to eat out, and even then you're taking a risk."

I felt the blood drain out of my face. She was right. Two days before Valentine's everyone would be jam packed.

"So…what do I do?"

Alice sighed. "Let me think for a bit, ok? I'll help you out, even after the damn bell comment."

I grinned. "You, my little Thumbelina, are currently my favorite roommate."

She gave me the finger as I stood up and grabbed my bag. I headed up to my room and immediately pulled up a list of restaurants in Decatur on my laptop and started calling them. A couple of people actually laughed in my face, but the answer was the same for all: full up. I immediately started trying to think of a back-up plan.

"Hey Jolly, I've got an idea for you."

I turned and looked at Alice with confusion. "Jolly?"

She shrugged. "Only giant I could think of with a name is the Jolly Green Giant."

"Ho ho ho."

She grinned and settled on my bed. "I think you should cook her dinner. She's always cooking for us, so you should cook for her."

I grinned. "You are a genius. What should I cook?"

She shrugged. "Something simple, obviously. Maybe a pot roast or something you can set to cook all day."

"But then she'd know about it ahead of time. I'd like to surprise her."

She frowned. "So you need something really easy."

I gave her a look which she waved off. She tapped her chin with her finger thoughtfully. "Ok, there's a steak dinner recipe thing I've got. It's got two filets, some roasted veggies, and baked potatoes. There's also a recipe for a chocolate mousse dessert type thing that's beyond awesome. I'll help you make that so you don't fuck it up."

I grinned. "And still my favorite."

"Don't forget you have to give her flowers and a gift."

I grimaced. "Is it weird to give lingerie?"

She laughed. "I think that'd be acceptable. Has she worn any of hers for you yet?"

I looked at her with surprise. "Bella's got lingerie?"

"So that's a no. She's got some cute stuff, but I like when Jazz buys me lingerie. Shows me what he likes and it's incredibly arousing to think of him buying that stuff. Jewelry's good, too."

I wasn't sure if I should be pleased with Alice's advice or a little disgusted in this glimpse into their sex life.

"So, lingerie. I'll have to steal her stuff to find out her sizes."

"Bra is 30B, everything else is small."

I blinked. "Um…thanks."

She grinned. "It's beyond pervy for a guy to go through a girl's underwear drawer, even if he's got a good reason."

Suddenly her earlier comment about jewelry hit home. The ring. I could propose on Valentine 's Day. That was romantic, right?

Bella's POV

I yawned as I came through the back door. I was exhausted. Today had been the kids' Valentine's parties at school and I'd gone to help out Todd's class in the afternoon when I got out of my classes. Some weird mom had brought veggies, most of which ended up being thrown across the room in a spontaneous food fight that began and ended quickly and with seemingly no culprit.

I headed upstairs to my room, desperate for a nap. Jasper and Alice and Emmett and Rosalie all had plans for the evening. Edward hadn't said anything to me, so as far as I knew, he was working. I was a little disappointed to be alone, but I wasn't a huge fan of Valentine's Day anyway so I didn't feel like I could really complain too much. I toed off my shoes and crawled into bed, jacket and everything. I grabbed Edward's pillow and hugged it to my chest. It didn't take long before I drifted off to sleep.

I was rudely awakened a little while later by a screeching sound. I sat up, groggily, struggling to figure out what the hell was happening. I stumbled out of my room and froze. There was smoke everywhere. I hurried downstairs to try to find the source of it. Everything was coming from the kitchen where I could hear Edward swearing.

I skidded into the kitchen in time to see him pulling something out of the oven and promptly dropping it on the floor. Black stuff scattered everywhere. I was relieved to see that nothing was on fire, but there were more black items in the oven. He removed that while I picked my way over the mess on the floor and pulled open the back door. I passed Edward scooping up black shit off the floor and opened the front door, hoping to get a breeze to clear some of the smoke out.

I came back in and noticed for the first time that there were candles all over the living room and kitchen, a pathetic looking bouquet of red roses and Edward was wearing a suit. I leaned against the door frame and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Mind telling me what the hell is going on?"

He sighed and gave up with the black stuff on the floor. "I was trying to surprise you."

"Oh, I'm definitely surprised." I grinned at him and grabbed the broom out of the closet under the stairs and started sweeping up the food on the floor. "What was it anyway?"

"Roasted broccoli, baked potatoes and steak."

"Sounds like it would have been great."

"It would have."

I grinned and knelt down with the dust pan. He held out the trash can and I dumped in some blackened broccoli. We worked in silence for a bit, cleaning up. The smoke finally cleared and I closed the doors while he attempted to relight the candles. They were vanilla scented so that helped some with the charcoal odor in the air. I grinned and sat down on the couch and looked at the fire in the fireplace. Edward joined me a minute later with a small cup of something brown and the roses.

"Thanks, Edward, they're really…"

"Shitty, I know. I forgot."

I grinned. "Well, thanks just the same." I leaned over and kissed him. I put the vase on the coffee table and contemplated the cup of brown. "What's this?"

"Chocolate mousse."

I tasted it with the tip of my tongue and smiled. "Not bad."

He rolled his eyes. "Alice helped with that last night."

I laughed. "Of course." I spooned up a bite and held it in front of him. "Open."

He grinned and obeyed as I fed him a few bites before taking some myself. "I have to say, this is probably one of the worst Valentine's Days ever." I grinned up at him and he made a face at me. "I think the only thing that would have made it worse was some lame cliché like a proposal."

He gave me a strange look and shifted in his seat. "Really? Proposing on Valentine's Day is a cliché?"

I snorted. "Totally. It's a dumb holiday anyway, not that you will ever get out of doing SOMETHING for it," I poked him in the side with a grin, "but I just hope that someday, when someone proposes to me, it's not on Valentine's Day. I'd like a little originality, you know?"

He nodded and looked at the fire. "Well, I got you a present, but now I'm afraid to give it to you."

I laughed. "I can lie to you even if I hate it if you want."

He made a face at me. "No, I want you to always be honest with me."

I sighed. "Ok, then to be honest, I forgot to get you a gift."

He grinned. "Oh good. Then my gift can be that you tell Alice it was the best Valentine's Day ever."

I laughed. "So my gift?"

"It's upstairs. I didn't wrap it."

I set my empty cup on the table and stood up. "Then show me. I love gifts."

He grinned and stood up, taking my hand and leading me up to his room. I sat on the bed and looked up at him expectantly. He stood for a moment, studying me and then, I swear to God, he blushed before heading over to his closet. He pulled out a small familiar pink bag and handed it to me.

My jaw dropped. He'd gone to Victoria's Secret? I eagerly pulled out the lingerie inside and grinned. It was a beautiful red satin slip/nightie with black lace trim and a pair of black mesh panties. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Well, it's classier than I expected, I'll admit."

His face reddened more. "I didn't think you'd be into the other stuff in there. It's kind of freaky and you're not, really."

I chuckled and stood up, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him. He tasted like chocolate. "Did you pick it out all by yourself?" I asked, looking into his eyes.

"I did."

I melted a little. He knew me better than I thought. I smiled at him. "I love you."

His eyes widened and he grinned back at me. "I love you, too. I would have said it earlier, but I was worried about that whole cliché thing."

I swatted him playfully and kissed him again. He started to tug on my shirt but I stepped back from him. "Wouldn't you much rather see me in the lingerie you so deftly picked out?" I teased, grabbing it and darting into the bathroom before he had a chance to reply.

Edward's POV

While Bella was changing, I quickly lit the candles I'd placed around up here and stashed the ring back in its place. I wanted her to have a great proposal story to tell people and if she thought a Valentine's Day was bad, then no way in hell was I doing it. I stripped down to my boxers, draping my suit over the back of my desk chair. We'd pretty much finished up downstairs so I wasn't worried about that. I'd need to run down for a second to blow out the candles. I tapped on the door.

"Bella, I'm going to run down and blow out the candles, ok?"

"Ok."

I grinned and hurried downstairs. I locked everything up, knowing everyone else would be back later and I didn't want to worry about some random person coming in while we were upstairs. I blew out the candles and put all the dishes in the sink to clean later. I grabbed the roses and put them on Bella's desk before heading back upstairs.

I stopped at the head of the stairs and stared. She was lying on my bed in a pose that could only be described as Cleopatraesque. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and curling around her breasts. I hadn't really noticed how long it was until now when I realized it was pooled on the bed behind her. Instant hard on.

She smiled coyly at me. "It fits perfectly. Did you snoop through my drawers?"

I grinned and crossed the room, pulling her against me and kissing her. "No, that's pervy. Alice told me your sizes."

She laughed and kissed me back. "I have to admit, I tried on the panties just to know if they'd fit, but I opted to go without."

"Then why the hell am I wearing underwear?"

She shrugged one shoulder and kissed my neck. "I was wondering that myself."

I pulled back for a moment, missing her lips for the two seconds it took me to remedy that situation. I slid my hands across the satin of the nightie and then pushed it up, exposing her hips as I found my home in her.


	33. Chapter 33

Bella's POV

I woke up the next morning and smiled, stretching luxuriously against Edward. I was still wearing the nightie and the satin felt amazing against my skin. I kind of wanted to get satin sheets now. I snuggled closer to Edward and threw my leg over his hip. It was cold outside of our little cocoon of sex and I didn't really want to leave. I was so glad it was a Saturday.

Edward smiled and pulled me against him, kissing me on the forehead. "Good morning," he smiled.

I grinned up at him. "Morning. I have a question for you."

He raised his eyebrows at me and lightly stroked my arm. "Ask away."

"What do you think about satin sheets? Too smarmy?"

He laughed. "I think if you want them, I'll get them."

I smiled. "Sleeping in a satin nightie is kind of erotic, I'm just curious about satin sheets."

"Ok, my agenda today was just completely rewritten to include only finding satin sheets."

I laughed and snuggled closer to him. It was snowing outside again and the house was quiet. Everyone was most likely enjoying a morning of snuggling.

After a while, the call of nature overrode my desire to snuggle and I rolled out of bed to answer it. Edward sat up and yawned, reaching for his boxers and a t-shirt that were on the floor by the bed. I pulled on the black panties that went with the nightie and gathered up my clothes before exiting. Edward kissed me as he passed me on his way in. I headed down to my room and dropped my clothes off and grabbed my robe as I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth.

When I exited, Alice was coming out of her room, her hair mussed and her face smudged. I grinned at her as I headed downstairs to start breakfast. I preheated the oven and started on some cinnamon rolls, Emmett's favorite. I hadn't made anything for him specifically in a while so I decided it was his turn for a favorite. Luckily, since it was such a complicated procedure, I had some premade and frozen in the freezer ready to go. I pulled them out to thaw while I started mixing up the eggs. I heard footsteps behind me and I turned, raising my eyebrows when I saw Rosalie in the basement doorway.

"Morning," she said, looking slightly embarrassed. She was wearing one of Emmett's t-shirts and a pair of his boxers.

I grinned. "Morning. Are you joining us for breakfast?"

She flushed slightly and nodded. "Anything I can do to help?"

I motioned to the cinnamon rolls. "You can put those on a cookie sheet and slide them into the oven for me."

She nodded and started working quietly. "So how was your Valentine's Day?"

I chuckled. "If Alice asks, fantastic."

She raised her eyebrows. "And if anyone else asks?"

I laughed then. "Edward tried to cook for me and…" I stopped and looked up at her. "Are you ok with me talking about him?"

She grinned. "Yeah. I've got Em, now and Edward and I…didn't work."

I smiled. "He tried to cook and ended up nearly burning the house down."

She threw her head back and laughed, a deep belly laugh I'd never heard from her. "Oh my god that's priceless. Most he ever did for me was like, flowers and dinner in a restaurant."

I grinned. "So how was yours?"

She sighed and smiled. "Perfect. We had a nice dinner, then we went on a walk by the river." She beamed and held out her left hand. "He proposed, too."

My jaw dropped and I nearly dropped the bowl of eggs. "Shut up, really?" I put the bowl down and grabbed her hand. It was a beautiful ring, a white band with a square diamond and two smaller diamonds on the sides. "Gorgeous."

She grinned. "I know."

"So that's really fast. Are you two sure?" I wasn't trying to be mean, and I hoped she got that, I was just a little concerned for them moving so quickly.

She nodded. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. We're going to have a long engagement so we aren't rushing into anything."

I nodded and turned back to breakfast.

"Good morning," sang Alice as she skipped into the kitchen. "Bella, I want to hear all about it."

I laughed and motioned her over to the kitchen table. "Edward cooked dinner for me and there were candles everywhere and he got me roses and that's all I'm telling you."

She laughed. "So he did good?"

"He did great."

She sat back with smug satisfaction before she spied Rosalie's ring and her jaw dropped. "Holy shit…that's an engagement ring."

Rosalie beamed again and showed her hand. I laughed to myself and checked the cinnamon rolls. One by one the guys joined us and we settled around the crowded table to eat. Congratulations rang out around the table as Jasper and Edward found out about the engagement and I noticed some interesting looks between the guys but ignored them. I had a couple of other things on my mind, like the upcoming week. I was not looking forward to it in the slightest.

Edward's POV

I kind of wanted to punch Emmett in the face for proposing. No pressure on me anymore, being the only non-engaged guy in the house, no of course not.

Bella was quiet the rest of the day, retreating to her room after breakfast and not coming out. I stopped by around 3 in the afternoon and stuck my head in the door. She was sitting at her desk with her laptop open in front of her but there was nothing on the screen and she was staring out the window, her chin in her hand.

"Bella?"

She turned to me and smiled absentmindedly. "Hi."

"You ok?" I asked anxiously, coming in and settling on the bed.

She sighed and turned to look at me. "I will be."

I raised my eyebrows. "Is it something I said? Or did?"

She shook her head and pulled her knees up into her seat and rested her chin on them. She'd changed into jeans and an oversized white sweater. Her hair was in two braids on either side of her head, giving her the appearance of a little girl playing dress up. She sat for a moment, picking at the dark polish on her toes.

"Tomorrow is Brad's birthday."

"Oh." I shifted on the bed, not sure what to do with that information. "Is there something special you'd like to do?"

She sighed and rested her cheek against her knee and studied me. "No. He'd have been 22, so it's not like it was a special birthday." She tightened her arms around her legs and my chest ached a little wanting to hold her. "Besides, the anniversary of his death is on Tuesday."

My eyes widened. "Shit, really?"

She nodded and I saw then that there were tears threatening to spill over in her eyes. I crossed the room quickly and scooped her up, carrying her over to the bed and lying down with her. She curled into my chest and closed her eyes.

"I feel stupid for still hurting so much after so long," she said finally, her voice shaking. "But I miss him and I wish he was back. Especially these days."

"Why these days," I asked softly, rubbing her back.

She sighed and shifted. "Living with you three reminds me of how much I missed out on. I didn't have a brother to look after me in high school or middle school, he wasn't there to teach me self-defense or how to drive."

I smiled softly. "He obviously taught you some self-defense, babe. You managed to fight off James pretty well before I got there."

She laughed softly. "That was more from remembering what hurt him when we were kids."

I was quiet. "So do you want to just stay in all day tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Do you want me around?"

"Of course." she said it immediately and I was relieved she didn't have to think about it. "I usually watch a couple of his favorite movies and eat pizza and wallow."

I chuckled. "I can do the shit out of that. And I've got something for you that'll maybe make you smile."

She raised her head and looked at me. "Really?"

I laughed. "I found some satin sheets. They're black, hopefully not too smarmy."

She laughed and kissed me lightly. "I think that's just smarmy enough."

***

Tali: Quick warning: I've only got a few more chapters of this written up. I'm struggling with a big fork in the road coming up, not sure which direction to go. I'm a little swamped at work and am going out of town again this weekend so there may or may not be a day or two when I don't update. Also, prepare for some "nothing" chapters while I just try to transition and wrap up stuff.

Thanks to all!


	34. Chapter 34

Bella's POV

I didn't want to open my eyes. For whatever reason, February 16th and 18th were the worst days of the year for me. I didn't totally understand it, to be honest, but there it was. I shifted slightly, leaning into Edward's chest as the reality of the date crashed down on me. His arms tightened around me and I looked up. He was still asleep, but it made me smile to know he was being protective in his sleep.

I pressed my face against his chest and breathed in his scent deeply. His arms flexed again and he shifted slightly, starting to wake up.

"You ok?"

I was quiet for a moment, then nodded. I was, actually. The hole in my chest from Brad didn't ache as much with Edward's arms around me. "Actually, yeah." I looked up at him and gave him a shy smile.

He grinned and kissed the top of my head. "So what do you want to do?"

I was quiet, fingering the satin sheet thoughtfully. "Maybe just be here with you for a while?"

"Sounds perfect." He closed his eyes and managed to drift back to sleep. I closed my eyes and it wasn't too long before I joined him.

We woke up a few hours later and I headed into the bathroom while Edward disappeared downstairs for something. The house was quiet and I remembered that Jasper and Emmett were both working today, so Alice was probably studying and Rosalie would be at her house.

I headed to my room and pulled on a clean pair of pajama pants and a tank top, pulling my hair back into a messy bun before I headed back upstairs. I grabbed my backpack on the way to work on homework.

I had settled in on his bed when Edward returned with a tray of food and some DVD's. I raised my eyebrows at him. "What's all that?"

"Sustenance and distraction," he grinned. He held up _Army of Darkness_ and I grinned. I shifted on the bed as he set the tray down carefully and put the movie in. I smiled when I saw sandwiches and more of the chocolate stuff from Valentine's night. I grabbed that first.

Edward's POV

Bella was quiet as we watched movie after movie and worked on homework. She stopped once in a while and played with a strand of hair and stared out the window at the snow on the ground. She didn't talk and I didn't press it. When she was ready, I'd be there.

The day passed quietly and before too long, she was headed downstairs to make dinner. Tonight it was paella, to my immense surprise. I helped her and we worked quietly in the kitchen. Everyone was there for dinner, so the kitchen was noisy with laughter and teasing. Even Bella managed a few chuckled, but she was still pretty quiet. She headed upstairs after finishing and by the time I got up there, she'd curled up in my bed and gone to sleep.

Monday was another quiet evening. She was so different it was a little scary. The bubbly happy Bella was momentarily absent and I realized how much I missed her. I was sitting in the basement doing some reading when Emmett dropped into his chair.

"What's up with Bella?" he asked curiously.

I sighed and put my book down. "Yesterday was Brad's birthday and tomorrow is the anniversary of his death."

Emmett's eyes widened. "Shit. What a way to fuck up a week."

I nodded my agreement. "So, we spent most of yesterday in bed watching movies and eating and sleeping and doing homework and I'm not sure what we'll do tomorrow. She's got school and the kids…" I trailed off and sighed. "I want to do something and I can't think of anything."

Emmett nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe make her a nice dinner?"

I snorted. "I tried that on Friday. Didn't work out."

He grinned. "Yeah, Rosalie told me."

I made a face at him.

"What if we all went out as a group? Did something fun?"

"Like what?" I asked confused.

He shrugged. "Dunno. Jasper's still pissed about not getting to go to putt-putt last October. Maybe that? And then do something special to remember Brad?"

I nodded slowly, liking the idea. I wasn't sure what kind of guy Brad was, I didn't really remember him, but it seemed like something to get Bella's mind off the anniversary would be good.

Bella's POV

I was staring off into space again. I had to quit that. It was a hard enough day without the added negative of no notes. I sighed with frustration and glared back at my books.

"Bella?" I looked up guiltily. Todd looked nervous. "Are you ok?"

I forced myself to smile and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired and a little sad."

"Why are you sad?" asked Hillary.

I sat back in my chair and thought for a second. I figured they were old enough for this. "Because today, a long time ago, my brother died and I miss him."

They both looked at me with surprise. "Your brother died?" asked Hillary.

I nodded. Todd came over then and gave me a hug. "So that's why you're sad?"

I chuckled softly and wrapped my arm around his waist. "Yeah. We fought a lot like you and Hillary do, but I was still sad when he died."

"I'd be sad if you died," whispered Todd, looking at Hillary. "You're not going to, right?"

"Well, eventually, but not soon."

I chuckled again and reached an arm for Hillary. She gave me an awkward hug, too.

Our embrace was broken up by Anne returning home then. I gathered my things and headed out, waving over my shoulder as I crossed the yards. I frowned when I saw all the cars, including Rosalie's, in the drive. I thought some people had to work tonight but apparently I was wrong. I was kind of dreading a dinner with everyone, to be honest. I kind of just wanted to curl up and cry.

I paused on the front steps, pondering. I didn't really want to see anyone and I wasn't sure what was the best way to avoid them. The stairs were in the front so if I went through here and they were in the kitchen, I could get to them straight away without being seen. If I went through the kitchen and there were people in the living room, they wouldn't necessarily see me. I sighed and headed up the steps.

The living room was empty, thankfully, so I headed upstairs to my room. I pushed the door open and froze. They were all in my room.

Edward was lying across my bed and Alice was digging through my closet, showing things to Rosalie. Emmett was sitting in my desk chair and Jasper was perched on my dresser. The three guys were tossing a ball around between them.

"What the hell?" I demanded, dropping my bag. "This is my room."

"We know. We figured you'd try to hide out. We know what today is." Emmett stood up and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I looked up at him confused.

"We're taking you out to be distracted," announced Rosalie proudly.

I stared at them. Now I got why Emmett was holding on to me. I couldn't get away from him. "I don't want to," I said stubbornly.

Edward sat up then and grinned at me. "You've been grieving alone for 7 years, Bella. Come grieve with us."

I glared at him. "No."

Emmett's arms tightened. "Well, it's a good thing you're small because I'm dragging you along. We're going to go play putt-putt before it gets dark."

"You guys are assholes."

"Assholes you'll thank later," sang Alice. She came over and put her arms around me and Emmett. She leaned close and whispered in my ear. "Please let us. We just want to do something for you."

I sighed and relaxed against Emmett. "Why?"

"Because you do so much for us and it hurts us to see you hurting. Don't you think you'll feel better if you get out and do something fun in Brad's memory rather than sitting here in the dark alone and crying? Is that what Brad would want you to do once a year?"

Her wide eyes searched my face hopefully. She had a point. Brad wouldn't want me to wallow, no matter how much I wanted to. I swallowed hard and shook my head. She squeezed my arms.

"You wallowed on Sunday, now come out and have fun."

Edward's POV

"Avoiding her?" asked Jasper in a low voice as we tee'd off at the 4th hole.

I looked at him, annoyed. "Maybe. Why?"

He snickered. "She sleeps in your bed, dillhole. You have to talk to her eventually."

I scowled. "She's going to be pissed. I can't believe you told her this was all me."

"She seems to be enjoying herself now," he pointed out. "I think she was only pissed at first, back at the house."

"True." I looked over at Bella. She wasn't back to normal, but she was smiling and laughing at something that Emmett was saying. I sighed and headed over.

She looked up at me when I sidled up to her and slipped my arm around her waist. I rubbed the small patch of bare skin with the pad of my thumb. A small smile crept across her face.

"Are you afraid of me, Edward Cullen?" she teased.

I stared at her, caught off guard. "Why would you think that?" I asked defensively.

"Because you've been avoiding me like the plague since we got here. You even rode in the other car on the way over."

I sighed. "I'm just not sure how pissed you are and since you've never directed your anger at me…I'm not sure what to do."

She chuckled at me. "I'm a little upset you dragged me out, but I have to admit, it's a pretty sweet gesture to drag me out of my pit of despair. Thank you." She turned and stood up on her toes, wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me. I was so caught off guard I didn't react at first. I quickly regained my senses, though, and wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her back. So she wasn't going to castrate me. Thank God for small favors. Or, really big ones.

"Hey," Jasper shouted, sounding annoyed. "We're trying to play putt-putt here. Do you mind?"

Bella's POV

I shivered and crowded closer to Edward. he wordlessly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest.

"You do realize its colder here by the river, right?" I asked Jasper. He rolled his eyes and finally stood up. I frowned, trying to see what exactly it was he had been doing.

"Ok," he said, rubbing his hands on his thighs. "Today is a sad anniversary. Most of you didn't get an opportunity to know Brad like Bella and I did, and for that, you've truly lost out. He was a great guy." He paused and Edward's arms tightened around me comfortingly. "So, as a tribute to him, I've got some paper boats made from Sunday's newspaper and a GI Joe and candle for each boat. We're going to set them loose on the river."

"GI Joes?" asked Emmett.

I grinned. "His favorite. He collected them."

"These were cheap, not collectables. I figure if we're just basically throwing them away, there's no point, right?"

I nodded and shrugged away from Edward and stepped forward. I picked up the first boat carefully and situated the GI Joe so he was facing forward before I carefully stepped to the edge of the river. I took a deep breath and set the boat in the water. It bobbed along for a bit before the darkness swallowed up the boat but not the light.

One by one, the others did the same until all we could see were five small lights bobbing down the river, Emmett's having immediately capsized. Edward took my hand and squeezed it. Jasper took my other hand and Alice his until we were all linked, watching the lights disappear around a bend in the river. We stood a moment longer and then headed back to the cars.

Edward was quiet that night as we got ready for bed. "You ok?" he asked finally.

I nodded. "Yeah. I think this was actually a pretty good way to spend the evening."

He sighed, obviously relieved. I rolled my eyes. Obviously the assurance at the putt-putt course hadn't been enough for him. He was such a girl sometimes.


	35. Chapter 35

March

Bella's POV

I came home from work earlier than expected. Everyone else was out so I decided to start fixing dinner. I was glad that spring was finally peaking around the corner. The snow hadn't quite melted away, but at least I had next week and a trip home to look forward to. I'd stubbornly refused to wear my heavy overcoat and was in a sweater and jacket.

The past few weeks had been relaxed around the house. Rosalie fit in really well as Emmett's girlfriend and practically lived with us now, spending most nights and evenings at the house. I'd even noticed some of her toiletries in Emmett's bathroom downstairs.

To everyone's shock and ultimate pleasure, we three girls had all really bonded. Alice and Rosalie loved to shop together and I was teaching them both to cook. It was beyond strange how our little world was turning out.

I pulled the lid off the crock pot and checked the pot roast I'd put in that morning. Everything looked good, so I started setting the table, humming softly to myself. Just a few more days of mid-terms and then we were heading to Austin. I was really looking forward to being home and with my friends. I hadn't seen Angela, Ben or Jake in months.

I was nervous about Jake, to be honest. We'd been together for two years in high school and breaking up had been really hard. If not for Dad's job, we'd have ended up at the same school and probably kept dating. At least there was the security in knowing we were both in other relationships. I'd gotten an email from Angela that morning saying she'd seen them together over Christmas and they were absolutely gaga. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, either. Part of me wanted him to be pining after me, still wanting to get back together. The other part, the more sane one, was relieved he'd moved on. Still, it would make for an interesting break.

As usual, everyone was arriving home as I was dishing up the food. We ate quickly and headed to our rooms. It was time for mid-terms and the three seniors were almost frantic with their need to study. Emmett, Rosalie and I weren't as antsy but we still felt the urge.

I stopped by my room and changed into my pajamas before heading upstairs to Edward's room. We spent most nights up here now, and we'd both come to think of it as "our" room. I'd moved into his bathroom to give each couple their own private bathroom, something Alice loved. The only reason I hadn't moved up completely was lack of closet space. Edward had almost as many clothes as I did, the big clothes horse.

I twisted my hair up into a large nob on top of my head as I headed upstairs. Edward was already sitting cross-legged on the bed, his books spread out around him and his hair looking pulled. I grinned as I leaned down and kissed him before settling on my side of the bed.

We worked for a couple of hours without talking, the only sounds in the room the soft classical and the sound of pen on paper and pages turning in the books. I was twisting a loose strand of hair around my finger thoughtfully when I looked up and saw Edward staring at me, a familiar look on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm studying."

"I know. Need a study break?"

I laughed. "No, but clearly you do."

He shrugged. "You know I'm always up for it."

I grinned and pushed my books to the side. "Oh all right, but we have to keep working after."

He grinned and pinned me to the mattress. "Not a problem." He kissed my neck while I lifted my hips and wriggled out of my pajama bottoms. "You know I study better after sex anyway."

I laughed again as he positioned himself. "Sure, in your sleep."

"Shut up," he kissed me again as he slid into me.

Edward's POV

"God, I could fuck you forever," I groaned as I collapsed on top of Bella.

She chuckled softly as she stroked my hair, her arms and legs still wrapped around me. "Doesn't sound too bad to me." She kissed my forehead.

I propped myself up awkwardly and looked down at her. "Marry me."

She froze and stared up at me. "What?"

"Marry me," I said simply. I'd been waiting for the perfect moment. This seemed like a good one.

Her smile was gone and her brow was furrowed. "No."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "What?"

"I'm not going to be proposed to like this. You're still fucking inside me, Edward. I'm not going to tell my children their daddy proposed to me after a good fuck during a study break." She looked up at me. "I'll say yes, but not to this."

"Oh." I hadn't thought of that. People would definitely want to know how I'd done it. I didn't really want to explain that we'd just had sex when I was so overcome by the awesomeness of the actual sex that I'd just blurted it out. I rolled over beside her and studied her for a moment. "But you will say yes?"

She grinned and rolled on to her side to face me. "Yeah."

"Then I'll start planning a proposal that'll knock your panties off," I promised, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

She patted my arm as she rolled out of the bed and grabbed her pants as she headed to the bathroom. I pulled my boxers back on and grabbed my books to keep studying. I had a test in the morning and I wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be.

Bella's POV

I sat in the bathroom and fought back tears when Edward proposed in the middle of sex. It was not how I'd ever imagined a proposal. I'd heard of guys saying stuff like that in the throes of passion, but Edward really meant it. I composed myself and returned to the room after a few minutes. We studied quietly for the next couple of hours, though I wasn't really retaining anything now.

The next day was a bit of a mad rush in the morning. Edward overslept and had to run to get to school in time for his test while I dashed out the door to get to my final. Edward had a second exam a couple hours later so he was just staying in Springfield for the day.

When I got home from my test, Emmett was sitting in the living room reading over some notes. He looked up when I came in and grinned.

"How was your test?"

I rolled my eyes and plopped onto a chair. "Exhausting. I hate big exams."

He smiled. "I'm sure you did fine. You'll have a 4.0 I'm pretty sure, just like Edward. You two are so similar it's scary. It's obvious you two are going to get married."

I looked at him suddenly. "What do you know?"

His eyes widened. "Shit. Nothing. Why? What do you know?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Don't mess with me. I control the food that goes into your belly. What do you know?"

He sighed. "I've seen a ring."

I almost fell out of my chair. "He has a ring?"

He nodded guiltily. "Yeah, but I didn't say anything. Be surprised when he does it, ok?"

I sighed and leaned my head back in the chair. "I was."

His eyes flicked down to my left hand. "I'm confused."

I flushed. "I got a proposal last night but it was at an inopportune moment, if you will."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Were you bleeding?"

I laughed. "No. He was…inside."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Priceless. I can imagine telling that story to the grandparents and parents and kids…"

"Which is why I'm not wearing a ring," I pointed out. "That and he didn't actually produce it last night."

He grinned. "Well I'll help him if he asks. Even I know that's a shitty time to propose."

I smiled back. "Thanks."

I headed up to the attic to study on my own. Only four classes meant four exams and that was going to be a hell of a lot easier to deal with. I'd signed up to test out of a couple of my classes and that was all coming up, too. I just had to get through the next week of insanity then I had Spring Break to look forward to.

Before too long it was almost time for me to go get Hillary and Todd. I packed up my books and headed out.

The kids were waiting out front for me and came running when they saw me pull up. I smiled as Hillary climbed in.

"Hi Bella," said Todd happily. "How was school today?"

I laughed. "I had tests. How was your school?"

"Same old. We're having a party on Friday for my birthday. Will you come?" Hillary looked at me anxiously,

"I'll try to," I promised. "But I have tests to take so I'm not sure if I'll be there the whole time."

"That's ok," she shrugged. "Mom and Dad can't stay the whole time either." I felt a pang in my chest. It seemed kind of rotten that her parents couldn't stay the whole time but I knew it was a big deal that they'd even been able to get the time off to go at all. She seemed appeased with my promise, though, so I didn't worry too much about it. They were in a lull with their activities, so we had the whole afternoon at the house together. I opted to go to the park so I could do some studying while watching them and maybe even get some sun.

After a couple of hours we were tired and headed back. I walked the kids to their house, waving to Anne through the screen door as I headed back to our house. I pulled out a frozen chicken pot pie I'd put in the fridge to defrost that morning and slid it into the oven to cook.

Alice came dancing in as I was spreading out across the table to study.

"Hello," she sang, plopping down across from me.

I raised my eyebrows. "You certainly seem chipper."

She grinned. "I am. Today is exactly five months until I become Mrs. Jasper Hale." She beamed at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Congratulations. Go away, I'm trying to study."

She pouted for a moment. "So what about you and Edward?"

I sighed and filled her in on the awful details. Her face darkened. "Seriously, has the boy learned nothing? I'll rip him a new one if you don't get a decent proposal."

I laughed. "Alice, calm down. We've been together what, 3 months? It's not a big deal. If he asks, he asks."

"You're so full of it. You would have said yes last night if it was a real proposal."

"True," I admitted, "but it wasn't and I didn't so I'm doing that whole self-preservation thing where I pretend it's not a big deal. Let me be."

She shrugged and leaned forward. "Want me to help him like I did with Valentine's Day?"

I laughed. "I think he should have to do this on his own. If he asks for help, fine, but don't offer to do it for him."

She sat back, looking disappointed. "I've always wanted to plan a proposal," she mused.

I grinned. "So do it. Re-propose to Jasper or something. He'd probably get a kick out of it. But whatever you do, do it somewhere else."

She rolled her eyes but left the room, leaving me to my peace and quiet.

***

The week was quiet as we all studied and took our exams. Friday I managed to blow through my final and headed to the kids' school. I had a gift for Hillary stuffed into my purse. It wasn't much, but she'd been dying for a digital camera and I'd found one online for about $50. I planned to give it to her after school at their house. I'd already dropped a cake off at the house.

I trotted up the steps to Hillary's building and rapped on her classroom door. It opened and I smiled at the teacher, Miss Benning. She stepped aside and let me in.

I looked around and sighed a little sigh of relief when I saw Anne and Robert to the side of the room. I made a bee-line and grinned at them.

"How's everything?" I asked, smiling as I pulled my jacket off.

Anne chuckled. "Fine. They're digging into the pizza and cupcakes. Hillary hasn't even hardly noticed we're here."

I grinned. "Sounds about right. She said you two couldn't stay the whole time. I'm here if you need to go."

They exchanged a brief look. "Actually, that'd be really great. We've got to get back to work and then we've got dinner with my boss this evening."

"You do?" I asked with surprise. "And the kids?"

Anne's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness…did I forget to ask you to watch them tonight?"

I laughed. "Yes, but it's fine. I don't mind. We're not doing anything tonight."

She sighed with relief. "I'm so sorry, I could have sworn I'd told you. It must be…" she stopped abruptly and turned pink. I raised my eyebrows. Anne wasn't usually scatterbrained and I'd never seen her embarrassed. Her eyes flicked up to Robert and he grinned.

"Bella," he said proudly, "we're going to have a baby."

My jaw dropped. "Shut up, really?"

He laughed and nodded. "Really. Are you ok with infants?"

I laughed. "I'm ok with babies but I'll definitely learn with yours if you still want me to watch the kids next year."

"I think something incredible would have to happen for us to not want you," Anne assured me. "You've been great with the kids. I think they love you more than they loved Alice and they adored her."

I chuckled and scanned the room. Hillary was holding court, wearing a flashing hot pink plastic tiara and giggling with her friends. "I have to admit I love them, too."

Anne beamed. "Wonderful. We'll discuss summer plans later, but for now, we've got to run." She gave me a quick hug before crossing the room to hug Hillary good bye.

Robert grabbed their coats and leaned down. "We haven't told the kids about the baby yet. We're waiting until Anne is out of her first trimester to talk to them about it, so we'd appreciate if you didn't tell them just yet."

"No problem," I grinned. I gave Anne a thumbs up from across the room and waved as they headed out.

Hillary spotted me then and wound her way through the desks to me. "Hi Bella," she grinned, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Thanks for coming."

"You're welcome. I'm hanging out with you two tonight, too, so you'll get your gift later. Go have fun."

She grinned and headed back to her little circle of girlfriends. Miss Benning came over then.

"So you're the infamous Bella we hear so much about."

I raised my eyebrows. "Infamous? What exactly do you hear?"

She laughed. "Both Hillary and Todd talk about you in their classes all the time. We know just about as much about you as they do. Hillary's even written a couple of her stories about you."

My surprise increased. "Stories? I didn't know Hillary wrote stories."

She nodded. "She writes wonderful stories. Typically romance type stories, but they're not bad."

I grinned. "I'll have to ask her about it."

We chatted until class was over and a shrill bell rang. I pulled my jacket back on and grinned as Hillary hung back a little, talking to a cute boy with blond hair. I pretended to look at the papers pinned to the bulletin board behind me. I looked over at them out of the corner of my eye and the blond kid was leaning in. I bit my lip to hold in a giggle.

I watched as he kissed her lightly and she flushed bright pink. I grinned again, turning back to the board.

"Hillary, Mitch, class is over," Miss Bennings was standing in the doorway. I doubted she'd seen the kiss because few teachers in my experience were fine with kissing in school. The two kids flushed and separated quickly. Hillary pulled her backpack on and looked up at me. I raised my eyebrows at her as we exited the building. We walked quietly, kids all around us shouting and laughing. I looked down at her.

"So how was it?"

Her face flamed up again. "Wet," she mumbled.

I laughed. "Sounds about right. anything else?"

She grinned at the ground. "Really nice. He tasted like chocolate cupcakes."

"Who tasted like chocolate cupcakes?" demanded Todd as he joined us on the walkway.

"The cupcake man," I said quickly. "We made a guy out of the cupcakes."

"Oh." He looked confused. "So a cupcake tasted like a cupcake?"

"Yup." I winked at Hillary. She gave me a huge grin as we climbed into the car.


	36. Chapter 36

Bella's POV

I yawned as I climbed the stairs to the house. The kids were driving me crazy with their talk about what they were going to do next week while in Disneyworld. I'd never been nor had I ever wanted to go, but I could understand their excitement.

Nothing more had happened between Hillary and Mitchell other than a couple of discreet, drier kisses. She would tell me about it whenever Todd wasn't around and it made me chuckle to hear the stories of stolen moments behind the big tree on the playground.

The house was full of heat and laughter and people when I came in. I blinked against the bright lights and dropped my bag on the floor.

"Bella!" shouted Rosalie, crossing the room and throwing her arms around me. I wrapped my arm around her and patted her on the back, laughing in spite of myself.

"Hey Rose, you're drunk."

She grinned. "You bet your ass I am. You're behind. Start drinking!" A beer was shoved in my hand and Rose disappeared.

Alice trotted over and I got another drunken best friend hug. "I'm so happy you're home," she crooned.

I shook my head and looked to Edward for help. "What the hell, dude?"

He laughed and passed Alice back to Jasper. "They got their acceptances into Champaign's grad school today and started celebrating as soon as they got home. When the rest of us got here, it just kept going."

"You're not drunk," I grinned, taking a pull of my beer.

"I'm a man. It takes more than a couple drinks to do me in."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "So dinner?"

"Leftovers," he reminded me. I nodded and headed to the kitchen to start pulling stuff out. "So how was work?" he asked casually as he started pulling lids off containers.

I grinned. "Well, Hillary's had her first few kisses and the boy is actually pretty cute."

Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "Pedophile."

I laughed. "No, I'm more into the older guys actually."

He waggled his eyebrows at me. "So you're just keeping company with me until you can get to the nursing home?"

"Hell yeah," I grinned.

He pulled me close to him and gave me a kiss. I sighed against his mouth and pressed my body against his. Once again, exams had ruined our sex life, rendering it non-existent for the past several days. His arms tightened around my waist and he lifted me a little, pressing me against the counter. I could feel him pressing against my leg and I pulled back, grinning up at him.

"Everyone's in the next room, Edward."

"They're so drunk they won't know."

"I'll know."

He grinned. "It adds to the hotness of it."

I rolled my eyes and pushed him back a little. "Edward."

He sighed and rested his forehead on mine. "Later?"

"Later." I kissed him again then pushed him away with my hip so I could start heating up the food.

Jane and Chris showed up a little while later and started drinking almost before their coats were off. Chris had been a last minute addition to the party, but as it was all couples, it didn't bother me at all. We polished off the leftovers and the guys managed to pack up the cars so we could get started early in the morning. We were taking my car again and Rosalie's as our second. She had a large SUV and Jasper seemed relieved about that since Alice was determined to take some time to hit some of the outlet malls we'd pass on our trip.

We sat around the living room, crammed into the armchairs and the couch and spilling onto the floor. Edward was sitting in the armchair closest to the fire and I was sitting across his lap, my feet hanging over the arm near the fire and warming. I snuggled against his chest and closed my eyes. I was exhausted and it was so comfortable here. Edward's thumb was under the hem of my shirt and he was rubbing light circles on my back. My eyelids were drifting closed as the alcohol started to take effect and the warm food in my stomach was making me feel heavy and ready for bed.

"I think Bella's falling asleep again," teased Emmett, throwing a pillow at us.

I reached up and knocked it back at him with a grin. "I worked all day asshat, what'd you do?"

He grinned. "I packed up the cars."

"With help," snorted Alice. She checked her watch and yawned. "It is late, though. If we're getting on the road by 7 we need to get to bed now."

"What time is it?" yawned Jane.

"After midnight."

"Shit really? I'm going to bed." Rose pushed off of Emmett then turned to grab his hands, pulling him out of the chair. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly before heading downstairs.

Edward tightened his grip on me and stood up, heading upstairs. Jane, Chris, and Alice were close behind us while Jasper locked up and banked the fire. Chris and Jane were spending the night in Alice's seldom used room and they disappeared while we continued up to the attic.

At the top of the attic steps, Edward set me down and pulled me into a kiss, his hands sliding under my shirt. I shivered as his cooler hands touched my warm skin. His hands moved up my ribcage to cup my breasts, slipping into the cups of my bra. I grinned up at him.

"Wouldn't it be easier if I wasn't wearing this stuff?"

"Of course it would, but this is more fun."

I rolled my eyes and pulled my sweater off and dropped it on the floor. "You have to be fast, I'm really tired."

"I'll be fast," he promised, pulling his own shirt off.

He pulled me against him again, kissing me as his hands unhooked my bra and pulled it off, dropping it on the floor beside us.

"Messy," I chided him as I fumbled with his belt.

He rolled his eyes and picked me up, carrying me over to the bed.

Edward's POV

Bella and I fell asleep almost immediately afterwards. I kind of loved that she didn't insist on going to the bathroom to shower after like Rose always had. I absentmindedly wondered if she did that with Emmett or if it was just me. I'd set the alarm for 6 and we almost slept through it. Bella frowned in her sleep, a cute little crease between her eyebrows forming as she curled into me.

"Come on," I sighed. "We've got to get up."

"No," she mumbled.

"You can sleep in the car."

"No."

"Ok, fine, stay here. Just give me your keys so we can get into the house."

She opened one eye. "You'd go without me?"

"Fuck yeah." I grinned down at her and tweaked her nose. "I hear there's hot hippy chicks in Austin."

"Yeah, but they stink."

I shrugged. "Could be interesting though."

She wrapped her arms around me tighter and pressed her face against my chest. "No."

I laughed and twisted my fingers in her hair. "Well, then you'll have to come shower with me. I don't think we have any clothes that'll fit both of us, so we'll have to travel naked. Hope you're ok with that, we're in the car with Rose and Emmett and you know how competitive he is. He'll probably want to be naked, too."

"Enough already," she grumbled and pushed me away. She rolled away and sat on the edge of the bed, stretching.

I grinned. I loved this part. She could twist her back in such a way that was absolutely amazing and even though she was facing away from me, when she turned, I caught sight of the curve of her breast. Even having recently seen the actual full breast, the hint of it was almost too much for me. I reached for her and pulled her back to me, rolling on top of her and kissing her hard.

She laughed against my mouth and placed her feet on my calves. "Quick, Edward. We have to shower and get dressed."

"Yes ma'am," I grinned, kissing her again. I loved that sometimes, speed was something she valued over technique and stamina. Like in the mornings.

We showered together quickly, Bella slapping my hands away more often than not. I protested, saying that I was just trying to help her get clean and she seemed to allow that for the most part until my hand slid between her legs and started stroking her there. Then she groaned and pressed herself against me.

"Stop or you'll regret it."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really?"

She was panting now, her eyes closed. "Oh yes. I'll get you back for dirtying my shower." She hissed softly as I hit the spot again. "Oh, fuck you Cullen."

I grinned and kissed her again. I finally released her and she climbed out of the shower, shooting me dirty looks over her shoulder. I grinned innocently and wrapped a towel around my hips.

"Can I help it if I've got the hottest damn girlfriend around who I want to have sex with 24/7?"

She rolled her eyes but pinked up in pleasure. She grabbed the other towel and wrapped it around herself before heading to her room to get dressed.

I pulled on jeans and a long sleeved shirt under a t-shirt, toweling my hair down to damp before pulling on my shoes and socks. I flipped the blankets back up over the bed to make it before heading downstairs.

Bella was still in her room, braiding her wet hair. I tapped on the door and looked at her expectantly.

"Everything ok?"

She gave me a look. "Yes."

I raised my eyebrows. "What? I was trying to give you a good morning."

She sighed. "I know. It just frustrated me you kept doing it after I told you to stop."

"You hate me getting you off against your will?"

She shrugged. "I'm a girl. I'm allowed to be an enigma."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Ok, so no more unwanted stroking."

"Oh shut up," she laughed. She pulled her shoes on and stood up. "Let's go. Alice has already been in here once about to spaz out."

I grinned and waved her ahead of me.

Everyone else was waiting in the living room. Most looked as bleary eyed as we felt. Bella hugged her pillows and quilt that we were going to have in the back seat with us and leaned against the back of Emmett's chair. Alice, as usual, was a veritable blur of activity. Just watching her made me a little nauseated. Jasper looked exhausted as he lay on the floor. Rose was in the other armchair and Chris and Jane were stretched out on each other on the couch.

"Come on, let's get loaded up and go. We'll stop somewhere and get breakfast on the way," I said, pulling on Bella's arm. She followed me wordlessly outside.

The rest followed, too and we quickly divided among the cars. Bella didn't care who drove hers so the twins and their guys took that while the rest of us piled into Rosalie's car. Bella buckled her seatbelt, locked her door, and put her pillow against the window, curling up and going to sleep almost immediately, her feet in my lap.

It was an easy enough drive, limited turns. We stopped at a Chik-fil-A in Springfield and got breakfast. I woke Bella up and she ate quickly before going back to sleep. I leaned against the opposite window, my feet in the space in front of Bella, and took a nap myself.

Bella's POV

I woke up slowly, the awkward position making my neck ache.

"So he's got a ring and he's holding onto it why?" Rose was speaking softly but I could still hear her.

"He wants to do it just right," said Emmett with a shrug.

Rose shook her head. "I think he's being stupid. He should just do it already. They're really pretty great together."

"I know, right?" Emmett chuckled. "She hasn't been anything but patient with his stupid ass. I hope he doesn't make her wait too long or he'll probably lose her."

"I don't think she's that shallow," Rose mused. "I think she'll stick around a while, to be honest. Like I said, they're great together."

I yawned loudly and sat up, swinging my feet out of Edward's lap. I leaned forward between the seats.

"So where are we?" I asked.

"Springfield, Missouri," Emmett grinned at me. "Or close to it anyway. We talked to the other car and we're going to stop for lunch in a bit."

I nodded. "Need one of us to take over driving?"

"Sure."

"How's it been so far?"

"Not bad." Emmett shifted in his seat slightly. "My butt's getting numb, though."

I chuckled. "Long trips'll do that."

We stopped a little later at a Chili's and ate, enjoying our lunch and just being out of the car. We lingered probably longer than we needed to before piling back in, Edward in the driver's seat this time. Rose and Emmet curled up in the back and promptly fell asleep. Riding in the back was perfect for sleeping.

"So."

I grinned at Edward. "So."

"What are you looking forward to most?"

I chewed on my lower lip. "Probably seeing all my friends," I admitted. "I miss them like crazy."

He nodded and I noticed his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel slightly. I sighed. "Are you going to be a jealous asshole whenever Jake's around?"

"No," he said sullenly.

I rolled my eyes. "Ass."

"What, he was your first love. I can't be a little intimidated by that?"

"No."

He looked at me with surprise. "What?"

"You're not allowed to be freaked out by it. I'm cool with Rosalie, we even get along now."

He scowled at the road. "That's different."

"Just because there was no sex in my relationship doesn't mean it was different."

"It _is_ different, Bella," he scowled. "You and Jake really loved each other. It's no secret Rose and I couldn't really stand each other for the last couple of years."

I sighed and glanced over my shoulder. The two in the back at least appeared to be asleep. "Ok, fine, we loved each other. We would have gotten married. Happy now?"

He was silent. "No."

I huffed and sat back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. "Well, get the fuck over it. He's my friend and he has been for years. He's with someone and I'm with someone and we're happy."

"Are you?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you out of your damn mind? I am happy with you. Not at the moment, but overall."

He sighed. "I strung you along for months, I proposed in the middle of sex, a shitty proposal that I _still_ haven't made up for…why the fuck are you still with me?"

I felt like I was on Candid Camera or something. "Because I love you, you douche."

He chuckled softly. "I love you too."

"Then what's up with the jackass questions?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I got a rejection letter from Champaign yesterday."

My heart skipped a beat. "But you've still got a couple more to go, right?"

He nodded. "I'm still waiting to hear from Chicago and Springfield. And of course, I got into Boston."

I didn't say anything. Boston was so far away. I was still pulling for Springfield.

We were silent until Oklahoma City where we stopped for more gas and food. Alice noticed my face and dragged me into the bathroom.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

I sighed and leaned against the counter. "He's being a bit of a jackass and I'm afraid he's preparing me for a break up."

Her eyes widened. "I thought he was going for a proposal."

I shrugged. "I did too, but he keeps questioning us and why I'm still with him after all his douchery and how I really feel about Jake."

She sighed. "So he's pulling that whole macho jealous jerk bullshit."

"Pretty much."

She pulled me into a hug. "Well, is he worth it?"

I laughed. "I sure as hell hope so."

She grinned and we headed back to the group.

"How much further," yawned Rose, stretching over the back of her chair.

"Six hours, give or take," I said, taking a sip of my water. "I figure we can stop about half way for gas, which will be Dallas. Then I'll take over driving the last leg and get us to the house."

"Sounds great," Emmett grinned at me, taking a drink of his soda.

We ate quickly and piled back into the cars. This time Rose drove and we all stayed awake, chatting about whatever topics came up. We shared our life stories and I was interested to learn more about Emmett and Rose than I'd known before. Both were only children of fairly affluent parents who expected a lot from them. Rose had picked Millikin University because it was far away from her family home in Connecticut, though her parents still visited at least every six weeks to check on her. Emmett grew up in a small farming community, so his family's affluence was nothing compared to Rosalie's. His parents were much more hands off, to his relief.

Dusk had fallen by the time we got to Dallas and we stopped at a gas station to fill up. Edward wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my head.

"I'm sorry about earlier."

I sighed and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You should be."

He chuckled and kissed my head. "You ok to drive?"

"Yep."

He kissed my mouth softly. "Do I get to sleep with you tonight?"

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "In what way?"

"In any way."

I grinned up at him. "Sure."

The last leg was, in some ways, the longest. We got into Austin about 10 pm and traffic was terrible, like usual. I drove a little slower than usual so that I wouldn't lose the other car but the Austin drivers didn't appreciate it and we got honked at a few times. I didn't let it phase me as I drove. I just hoped the other car was doing as well.

It took an hour to get to the house and everyone else seemed pretty antsy by the time we pulled into the drive. I sighed with relief when I saw the porch light was on. That meant that Anna the housekeeper had been by and checked everything for me.

I climbed out and stretched again before heading to the door.

It was strange stepping into my parents' house after being gone for so long. It smelled like it had been empty for a while, all the furniture covered in white sheets. I led the way into the kitchen and passed around the sodas that Anna had stocked for me before taking them on the grand tour.

The first floor had a huge family living room with a rock fireplace that had probably seen one or two fires every winter. There was a huge wall of windows looking into the back yard where the pool and Jacuzzi were and overlooking the valley. It was a beautiful site in the daylight. I led them back through the huge kitchen and into the formal dining room. We would most likely eat our meals either in the living room, outside, or in the kitchen, so I didn't worry about the sheets in here.

We bypassed Dad's office and headed upstairs to the bedrooms. I opted to put Jasper and Alice in the first guest room, Brad's old room, Rosalie and Emmett in my room, Chris and Jane in the second guest room and Edward and I in my parents' room. If anyone was going to have sex in their bed, I figured it should be me. Anna had made all the beds up and I was sure that the bathrooms were ready, too.

Once everyone was satisfied they knew where their rooms were, we headed downstairs to unload.

Edward's POV

I was exhausted and I'd only driven for five hours. Bella was wearing some kind of floaty white nightgown that didn't reach her knees and her hair was loose around her shoulders and down her back. She was standing in her parents' bathroom brushing her teeth while I pulled off my jeans and shirts. I studied her for a minute, trying to decide if this was a good time to propose.

"We need to get to sleep," she said suddenly, coming into the room and flicking the light off behind her. "We've got church in the morning."

My jaw dropped. "Church?"

She nodded and climbed into the giant bed on the other side of me. "Jake's dad is the pastor of the church I go to here so we're going to go see them all tomorrow. This is the last weekend of Jake's Spring Break so it'll be the only time we see him."

"Oh." Well, I hadn't heard that before now and I had to admit it was a little comforting Jake wouldn't be around much. "What time?"

"First service is at 8."

My eyes bugged. "In the morning?"

She gave me a look. "Yes. We'll go to first service then come home for a nap before we grill out. Anna has some chicken marinating for me and I've got the stuff to make burgers and fries."

I nodded and set the alarm on my phone. Eight am church service. Damn. I stretched out under the covers and pulled her against me. She threw one leg over me and snuggled against my chest. I stroked her hair lightly and dropped off to sleep.

The alarm went off at 6 and I groaned as I rolled out of the bed. Bella was up much more quickly this morning, twisting her hair up so it wouldn't get wet before climbing into the shower. I pulled out my nice clothes and tried to shake out some of the wrinkles. I wasn't sure how dressy I needed to be for this church but since I hadn't really been informed of it ahead of time, she couldn't complain.

I waited until she was out before I climbed in the shower and washed quickly. I heard her chuckling as she washed her face and brushed her teeth. I climbed out and she was in the bedroom, pulling on a pretty blue dress I'd never seen before. It was some kind of clingy material that showed off her amazing curves but no cleavage. I guess cleavage isn't appropriate for church. I pulled on my black pants and blue button up, slipping on my socks and shoes while she slipped into some pink heels and grabbed a small pink sweater. She looked at me expectantly.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I muttered. I was not used to going to church.

She grinned and linked her arm in mine. "It'll be fine, I promise."

Bella's POV

Edward was adorable in his discomfort. He shifted in the pew, thumbing through the hymnal looking for the next hymn. We'd gotten there a little late, so were seated in the back of the balcony, out of sight of everyone below us. I reached over and squeezed his hand. He shot me a nervous look and I rolled my eyes and leaned over, kissing him lightly.

He jerked away from me, his eyes wide. "Bella, church is no place for kissing," he hissed, his eyes darting around. No one else seemed to notice or care.

I grinned. "What about weddings?" I whispered.

"That's different," he said stubbornly.

We stood up then when the organ began to play. I leaned close to him, having never heard him sing before. I grinned at my hymnal as I heard the reason behind that. Edward wasn't a great singer. He could carry the tune, years of piano helped with that, but it wasn't necessarily nice to listen to.

Before too long, Billy wheeled himself on to the stage to begin his sermon. I listened with one ear while scanning the crowd for my friends. I grinned when I spied Angela and her family filling up their pew, glossy black hair and dark cinnamon colored skin all. I could see Jake in his pew with a tall pretty girl who also had glossy black hair. I craned my neck, trying to get a view of her face but we were at an odd angle. I sat back, frustrated I couldn't see her from afar. I'd have to meet her face to face.

The service was over quickly and I grabbed Edward's hand and dragged him downstairs. Angela, Jake, Ben and the girl, probably Leah, were all chatting when we arrived. I threw my arms around Angela's neck in a hug.

"Chica!" she squealed, hugging me back. "When did you get in?"

"Last night," I grinned, hugging Ben. He spun me around a little, grinning down at me.

I turned to Jake. Now it was strange. He was taller than I remembered and he'd cut his hair. It looked great. I stood awkwardly before finally rolling my eyes and wrapping my arms around him.

"Hey Jake," I said softly.

"Bells," he murmured, hugging me tightly. He released me, still keeping an arm around my waist and pulled the tall girl forward. "This is Leah, my girlfriend."

I stepped forward and smiled, offering my hand. "Bella Swan."

She smiled. "Leah Clearwater."

Man, she was gorgeous. She was a few inches shorter than Jake and was obviously Native American, too. She looked like some kind of athlete, trim and perfectly sculpted. I felt short and fat next to her. I reached behind me and grabbed Edward's hand, pulling him forward.

"This is Edward Cullen, my boyfriend." I beamed up at him as he smiled and offered his hand to Jake first, then Ben and finally Angela.

"Nice to meet you all, I've heard a lot about you from Bella."

"Oh God, seriously? Don't take everything she says as truth, she likes to exaggerate," grinned Ben.

I pushed his arm lightly.

"Mija!" a voice behind me exclaimed. I turned and grinned at Lily, Angela's mom. She pulled me into a giant hug, nearly smothering me in her bosom. "Como estas?" she demanded, rattling off in Spanish.

My mind raced to keep up. I hadn't spoken real Spanish in months and Lily spoke faster than most. I managed to keep up and we chatted for a bit while Edward and the others visited.

Billy wheeled himself over and pulled my into a hug before shooing us out for the next service, starting momentarily.

Edward looked sleepy and I was feeling it too, so we invited everyone to the barbeque and headed out, more hugs all around.

Edward's POV

Bella was quiet on the drive back to the house.

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish," I said finally.

She laughed. "It's hard to grow up in Texas and not know at least some. Angela's mom is like my second mother so she made sure we were both bilingual from the moment we met. I'm out of practice, though. She was going a mile a minute."

I grinned. "Well, you seemed to keep up pretty well."

She nodded and grinned.

When we got back to the house, everyone else was up and about. I was amazed, since it wasn't quite 10, but I guess the call of the pool was too much for some of them. The others were dragging ass, draped over furniture in the living room and watching movies. Bella and I said our hellos then headed upstairs to change.

I watched as she rummaged around in her suitcase and pulled out a swimming suit. I raised an eyebrow as she shimmied out of her dress and started to pull off her underwear.

"You're really going to do that in front of me and not expect any kind of reaction?"

She grinned at me coyly. "You don't like being teased?"

"Not especially, no," I grinned, crossing the room and pulling her against me. She slipped her arms around my neck and kissed me, her tongue lightly flicking across mine. I was getting harder by the second and she seemed to be acquiescent, but then she pulled away and smiled up at me.

"I told you I'd get you back for the shower yesterday."

My jaw dropped. "You're going to get me all worked up and then bail?"

She smiled and pulled on her suit. "You kind of did the same thing."

"I'd've followed through if I knew you wanted me to," I argued.

She shrugged and grabbed a towel out of the bathroom. "But you didn't ask what I wanted, now did you."

She winked and disappeared out the door. I was still open mouthed, watching her go. Now what was I supposed to do?

Bella's POV

Emmett looked completely at home behind the grill, a spatula in one hand and a beer in the other. Rose and Jane were stretched out on the lounge chairs, soaking up the sun while Alice, Jasper and Chris were splashing each other in the pool. Edward was helping me in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. I wiped my hands on a towel and trotted over to get it.

I laughed at Angela as she came in and gave me another hug. "Why didn't you just come in like you usually do?"

She shrugged. "Felt weird, since your parents aren't here."

I rolled my eyes and waved Ben, Jake and Leah in." Ben gave me a hug as he passed and Jake smiled at me, awkwardly. Apparently new relationships didn't make this that much easier. They all headed out to the patio and introductions were made. Alice climbed out of the pool and immediately headed into the kitchen where I was.

"Hiding?" she demanded.

I sighed. "A little."

She shook her head. "Why? Did you leave things unsaid or something?"

"No, but we were together for a long time, Alice. It's still weird between us."

"Get over it."

I chuckled and grabbed the platter of fries and headed outside. She grabbed the paper plates and some more drinks and followed me.

We settled around the pool, on the chairs and at the table, everyone chatting easily. It was a huge relief that my old friends and my new friends were getting along.

"So," began Angela as she followed me into the house as I started clearing the empty plates. "Why didn't you tell me about sleeping with Edward?"

I looked at her with surprised. "How could you tell?"

She grinned. "It's in the way you two touch. He likes to touch you and it's different from how Jake touched you."

She popped a piece of cheese in her mouth and smiled. "He's not having sex you know."

"How do you know?" I asked curiously.

"Hello, same way I can tell you are. The touching thing. They're crazy about each other but for whatever reason aren't having sex."

"Hm." I wasn't sure what to do with that information or how I felt about it. "And you?"

She snorted. "Please. I jumped him the first night in the dorm."

I laughed loudly, causing some startled looks from outside. "And you didn't tell me why?" I teased, chewing on an apple slice.

She shrugged. "Didn't want you to get jealous."

I rolled my eyes. "Probably right. Edward was driving me nuts for months."

"No joke," she agreed. "Ben and I were ready to come kick his ass after the email about Thanksgiving."

I laughed. "We'd already slept together by the time you would have gotten there."

Her eyes widened. "So when was it?"

"The day I sent you the email saying we were together. He moves fast."

She grinned. "Vixen."

It was my turn to snort. "Don't you forget it."

"Bells?"

We looked up and saw Jake standing in the doorway. "Hey," I said awkwardly.

"Can we talk?" he asked, shifting nervously.

"Um, sure." I glanced at Angela. She raised her eyebrows and grabbed another chunk of apple before disappearing out the door.

We stood awkwardly for a moment before I finally led the way to the table. We sat across from each other for a long moment.

"So how's school?" I asked lamely.

He smiled at his hands. "This is what we're reduced to after years of friendship? Asking about school and the weather?"

"You weren't talking," I grinned.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I miss you," he said bluntly. "I miss dating you, but more than that, I miss being your friend and hearing about the crazy shit that happens to you."

I smiled. "I miss you too. I'm not interested in being your girlfriend again, but I'd love to be your friend again."

I reached across the table and took his hands in mine. They were large and warm and familiar. He looked up at me then and smiled softly. He squeezed back and stood up, moving around and sitting next to me.

"Are you going to come home this summer?"

"Maybe." I leaned my head against his shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent. "Are you?"

"Yeah. Leah's going to go home to her family in Washington state, so I'll be here alone. Well, with Angela and Ben, but they're joined at the hip."

I chuckled. "Well, my parents are talking about me spending the summer in England with them. If I came here, I'd only be here a few days probably. They don't like me being alone and Edward's getting a job this summer."

"Oh." His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer to him, his thumb rubbing up and down my side lightly. It brought back a flood of memories. We used to sit like this all the time and it was comforting to feel his touch on my skin again. "Well, I'd love to get to spend some actual time with you, a little more one-on-one, you know?"

"Yeah." I grinned. "I'd like that too." I leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek before pushing up from the table. "So are we ok now?"

He nodded and stood up too. "Yeah. Start emailing me, too. I'm up for hearing about your wackadoodle life in Illinois. I hear about it from Angela and half the time I think she's exaggerating."

I laughed. "She probably is." We started towards the patio and I could see Edward looking towards us, an anxious look on his face.

"Shit, is that really what time it is?" Jake sighed, looking at the clock on the stove.

I glanced at it and nodded. "Yeah, it's almost 3, why?"

He sighed. "It's a 6 hour drive back to Lubbock, we've got to get going. We're supposed to be meeting some people for dinner tonight."

"Oh. Well, yeah, you need to get going. Want to change upstairs?"

He nodded. "If you don't mind."

"No, go ahead. Edward and I are in my parents' room, the others are in the other rooms. I'd say just change in my parents' room so it's not too weird or the bathroom down here."

His eyes widened. "You and Edward?"

My face flared up. "Yeah."

"Wow." He looked stunned. "Um, ok then."

We stepped out on the patio and Edward searched my face. I smiled at him and crossed to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my shoulder.

"Everything ok?" he asked softly.

"Perfect."

Edward's POV

I saw the way Jake looked at Bella. He wasn't over her. She seemed oblivious to this, but no one else was, not even his girlfriend. I felt kind of sorry for her but she seemed to take it all in stride. The brought in some clean clothes and changed before heading out. Angela and Ben left soon after them and the rest of us pitched in to clean up. Afterwards, a movie was popped into the player while some kept swimming. Bella decided to take a nap and headed upstairs. After a few minutes I followed her.

She was in the shower and I hesitated for a minute before tapping on the glass. "Bella?"

She opened the door and grabbed my wrist, pulling me in. I grinned as she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me.

"Sorry about earlier."

I held her tightly against me. "I survived."

She sighed and rested her cheek against my chest. The water cascaded over us and I just held her. Something was a little off and I wondered if Jake had anything to do with it. I felt her hands move to my hips and push my suit down.

"Ready for me to make up for earlier?" she smiled, looking up at me.

"Always." I kissed her again and reached behind her to turn off the water.


	37. Chapter 37

Tali: So lots of comments about the Jake scene! Wow. It's not intended to be so controversial or upsetting. Jake is Bella's first love and that's not something that's going to go away just because she loves Edward now. My husband is not my first love. My first love is married to another woman and the first time I saw him after we broke up, he was already with her. It was awkward and a little uncomfortable until we got away from other people to just talk. We were looking at a display and he wrapped his arm around my waist and rubbed my side like he'd done a million times before. We talked and decided we missed the friendship we'd had before we dated too much to let it go without a fight. So, we talked, we im'd, we emailed, I invited him and his then fiancée to my wedding, they invited me and my husband to their wedding. There will always be a special place in my heart for him. I'm just saying, Bella can still want to be around Jake and spend time with him and not WANT him. The emotional heart has lots of secrets that screw with your head. This is just one of them.

Bella's POV

We spent the rest of Sunday just lounging and resting up. We had a lot planned for the week. Really, Alice had a lot planned. She'd gotten online and written up a list of the music groups and movies, when and where they were, and then picked out a few of each for us to go see. Monday was going to be pretty exclusively movies, starting at 10 am and going until 2 am.

"My ass is going to be so sore," groaned Emmett. "We can't just sit for 16 hours watching movies."

"So we'll take a break and go get dinner and walk around," I shrugged. "It'll be fine."

"We're doing movies again on Tuesday," Alice informed him as she settled on Jasper's lap. "Your butt will already be numb so you'll be able to stand it much better then."

I rolled my eyes but laughed anyway. "We can do other stuff than SXSW, y'all. There's San Antonio just a short drive away. We can go down and hit Six Flags or Sea World. There's the Alamo and the Riverwalk, too. Plus there's lots of caves in the area. We can do lots more than just movies and music."

Alice turned to me with a frown. "But I've planned the stuff for SXSW."

"I want to do more than just that," admitted Jane. "I mean, how often do we get to come to Texas?"

Alice sat back against Jasper's chest and crossed her arms. "But I planned it."

I grinned. "How about you help plan other stuff, too?"

She sighed. "Fine."

I rolled my eyes and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen Mom kept in the side table. "Ok, who's interested in caves?"

We spent the next couple of hours checking prices and planning out our week. Emmett grabbed his laptop and earned a dirty look from Rose when she was unceremoniously dumped for it. He made a couple of reservations and bought some tickets, remotely accessing the printer in Dad's office to print everything off. Alice was still pouty that the time and effort she'd spent in planning out everything was pretty much being thrown out the window, but the groups and movies she'd been most interested in were being shown at night so we'd be able to see those anyway.

We finally said our good nights and headed off to bed.

"I thought Alice was going to skin you alive," Edward chuckled as we got ready for bed.

I grinned at him around a mouthful of toothpaste. "Me too." I rinsed and spit, then hopped up on the counter to watch him. "So how did you think today went?"

He looked at me confused for a bit. "You mean with Jake?"

I nodded.

He shrugged. "Ok, I guess. You're the one who had some kind of heart-to-heart with him."

I nodded again and studied my toes. "I miss him and he misses me."

Edward's arms slipped around me and he kissed me lightly, tasting of toothpaste. I smiled against him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm glad you didn't go bat shit crazy insane."

He laughed. "Maybe I did and I'm just really good at hiding it."

I rolled my eyes and ran my fingers through his hair. "You can't hide anything from me, Cullen."

"Can't I?" he teased.

I shook my head. "Nope. I know you too well."

"Maybe I've got a few secrets I'm keeping close to the chest."

"Like what?"

He smiled mysteriously and kissed me again. "If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets." He slid his hands down to my butt and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he carried me into the bedroom.

Edward's POV

Bella rolled out of bed early the next morning, kissing me lightly as she pulled her swimming suit back on and disappeared out the door. I sat up and frowned at the closed door. Where the hell was she going?

I stood up and pulled my shorts on before following her out the door and downstairs. I heard the soft sound of the patio door sliding shut. I frowned again and headed over.

I grinned when I saw Bella standing on the edge of the pool, braiding her hair quickly before jumping in the water and swimming a few laps. I headed outside and sat in one of the lounge chairs to watch.

She swam gracefully, long strokes and quick turns. I leaned back and closed my eyes. I was still sleepy but it was cool enough right now that I didn't really want to sleep. At least not outside in a lounge chair wearing nothing but shorts.

"Hey."

I opened my eyes and saw Bella standing on the edge of the pool, looking for all the world like Phoebe Cates in _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_. I grinned and held out my arms.

She sat down and snuggled against my chest. "Why are you up?"

"You left me without a word of explanation. I was curious."

She chuckled. "I swim every morning I'm here."

"Even in the winter?" She was way too cold natured for me to buy that.

She laughed then. "It's Texas. The winter isn't as bad as Illinois, though we do get cold. Then I just swim two laps and run inside."

I laughed. "So you've gotten out of shape the past few months then, huh?"

She elbowed me in the side. "I chase the kids around and go up and down lots of stairs. That helps."

We sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company before she finally pushed up and pulled me inside. "We need to get dressed and get breakfast so we can get to the caverns before too late."

I grinned and followed her upstairs. We showered and dressed in jeans and t-shirts, pulling on tennis shoes before we headed downstairs. The others were seated around the kitchen at the table and the bar, eating cereal, toast, and even scrambled eggs. Bella pulled a bagel out of the refrigerator and put it in the toaster oven while I poured myself a bowl of cereal.

The doorbell rang as we were gathering up our things and Bella answered it, ushering Angela and Ben in. They hugged their way around the room, which surprised me, but seemed perfectly natural to the girls.

"Let's go," announced Alice, fairly bouncing in place. Apparently, she'd gotten over her frustrations from the night before.

We piled into the cars, packed a little tighter than usual, but it was for the best. Bella drove one and Ben drove the other, both of them the only ones who really knew where we were going.

Twenty minutes later, we pulled off the paved road and onto a washboard dirt road. We bounced around in our seats before finally pulling up to a pathetic looking shack. I raised my eyes at Rosalie who was crammed against my side. She shrugged and pushed me towards the door.

I stumbled out and helped her down while Emmett fell out on the other side. Angela climbed down from the front passenger seat and Ben grinned as he walked around the front. "Sorry about that. It's hard to prepare you for this road so I just let people find out on their own."

I chuckled. "No worries. I didn't really need my spine anyway."

Bella laughed as she wrapped her arms around my waist. "Without a spine you'll be much more bendy. Could make things interesting."

I pushed her head lightly as we headed towards the shack. She giggled and slipped her hand into mine, squeezing lightly. We stepped into line and quickly got our tickets before joining the waiting tourists around a set of steps.

There was a bigger crowd than I'd normally expect for a Monday morning, but I guessed that most of the area schools were having their Spring Break now so it made a little more sense. I really hoped none of these kids started screaming bloody murder in the cave.

Our guide gave us a few words of caution, reminding us that we shouldn't touch the walls unless she'd said it was ok, telling us to watch out for low ceilings and water on the floor. Then we started down some rock steps that didn't look all that safe. Bella hung on tightly to my hand as we walked, using the other to steady herself against the hand rail. I grinned and tweaked her braid lightly.

Once in the caves, it was cool and dark, just like I'd expected. We walked through several caverns carefully, snapping pictures of the various things along the way. By far the coolest thing was the pool that was completely still and clear and also, supposedly incredibly deep. Bella leaned over to look at it and I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her back against me. She looked over her shoulder, momentarily startled, then grinned.

"I'm not planning on taking a dip," she murmured, leaning back into my chest.

I rolled my eyes and pulled her along as we headed to the next chamber. It wasn't that I thought she'd jump in willingly; I was afraid she'd fall in accidentally. I wasn't sure what the emergency procedure was for tourists who fell into a giant icy pool but I wasn't real interested in finding out.

The tour lasted at least an hour before we turned around at the end and hiked back up out of the caves. I put my hands on Bella's butt to help push her up the incline and she laughed, swatting at me behind her.

Once we had all surfaced, Alice and Jane made a beeline for the shack which apparently held some souvenirs of some kind inside while the rest of us lounged around in the much warmer weather. Bella rested her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.

"So how do you like Texas so far?" she asked sleepily.

"Not too bad. Why?"

She grinned up at me, opening one eye. "There's a saying that if you marry a Texan, you'll end up in Texas eventually. We all come home to stay at some point."

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Well, I don't think that'd be the worst thing. No more crazy winters."

She snickered. "Depends on where in Texas you settle."

I definitely noticed her lack of the pronoun "us." I actually kind of hated that. My mind went to the box in my pocket and my hand started to reach for it automatically before I stopped myself. Now was not a good time.

Bella's POV

I wasn't sure what made me bring up the whole returning to Texas thing. Maybe my frustrations with Edward and that damn proposal were starting to get to me. Knowing there was a ring and a serious intention was aggravating, to say the least.

We headed back into town and stopped at a Schlotzsky's for lunch. There wasn't one in Decatur and I'd missed my sourdough sandwiches. We ate with relish before heading to the house to rest up for a bit before heading back for some movies. I headed upstairs, feeling a bit of a funk setting in and wanting to be by myself for a little while. I kicked off my shoes and curled up in the bed, pressing my face against the pillow and smelling Mom's smell. I hadn't talked to her in a while, so I dug my cell phone out of my pocket and called her.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom, it's me."

"Hi sweetie. Is everything ok?"

I laughed. "Everything is fine. I just wanted to check in. I didn't talk to you last night like I usually do."

She chuckled softly. "So are you all in Austin?"

I shifted on the bed when I saw Edward come in. I motioned him over and he toed off his shoes before crawling into the bed next to me.

"Yeah, we're here. Edward and I went to church yesterday and saw the Blacks and everyone. The kids all came over yesterday and we grilled out."

"Did you meet Jake's new girlfriend?"

I stiffened slightly. "Yeah. She's nice. We didn't hang out or talk just the two of us, but she seems pretty cool."

"Mmm." Mom was non-committal.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"Nothing. I've heard a few things, that's all."

I narrowed my eyes. "Anything you care to share?"

"Not especially, no."

I gritted my teeth. "Well, then I'm going to take a nap. I'm tired."

"Alright. I love you sweetheart."

"Love you too. Tell Dad I love him."

"I will."

I closed my phone and set it on the nightstand and stared at it for a beat. Edward's arm snaked around my waist and pulled me against his chest, his breath warm in my hair.

"Everything ok?"

"I guess."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not particularly, no."

He kissed my ear. "Ok."

Edward's POV

The movies that evening were definitely…different. Not quite what I'd been expecting, but not terrible. We were packed into a theater and there weren't snacks, but it was fun all the same. We exited the last movie around 3 in the morning and stood around the cars, discussing. Bella leaned against my chest, pulling my arms around her for some heat. I was more than happy to oblige.

Something her mom had said had upset her and she didn't want to talk about it. I knew I would never completely understand her, such was the nature of woman, but I kept thinking I'd get a toehold on understanding and then she'd blindside me by something random. I just had to figure out how to tell her I was up for a lifetime of blindsides.

"I'm starving," announced Emmett, with his usual tact and grace. "Is there a Denny's or something around here? IHOP?"

Angela made a face. "Sweetie, you're in Austin. We don't eat at those places. We eat at Kerbey Lane."

Bella leaned forward against my arms. "Oh my god, I haven't had Kerbey Queso in a million years. I may just order that for my entrée."

Angela grinned. "No joke. Let's go."

I raised an eyebrow at Bella but she didn't notice. She was practically giddy at the thought of this queso. We all piled into the cars and headed out, Bella leading the way. A little while later, we pulled up to what looked like a rundown shack on the side of the highway and headed inside. A light mist was in the air and it definitely dropped the temperature.

We had to wait for a table since there were so many of us and, amazingly, the place was really busy. I guess with SXSW in town, late night diners like this were busy. We finally settled at a table and ordered our drinks.

"So are you enjoying Austin so far?" asked Angela, leaning forward expectantly.

Rose grinned. "I am. My family travels all over but we've never been to Texas. I kinda like it."

"That's because Texas is awesome," laughed Bella. She and Ben did a high five across the table.

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my soda. I didn't really need the caffeine at 3 in the morning but whatever.

"So what are we doing tomorrow?" asked Jasper.

"State Capitol," grinned Alice, fairly bouncing again. Seriously, it was like someone had stuck a spring in her ass: she could hardly sit still.

"How early are we doing that?" asked Emmett warily.

Bella chuckled. "Not until noon. It's only a couple hour tour, then we'll hit a couple more movies, then we're having dinner at The Oasis."

"The Oasis?" apparently now I was the one asking questions.

She grinned. "It's an awesome restaurant on a cliff over Lake Austin. Might be a little cool, but totally worth it. We'll have to head out earlyish so we can catch the sunset."

I nodded, but was still confused.

We all ordered something different and asked for extra plates so we could share. It turned out to be an odd assortment of entrees, but everything tasted great. Almost better than Bella's cooking, but no way was I going to even hint at that. She ordered the Kerbey Queso and really did eat that as her main entrée, stealing bites of my blueberry pancakes once in a while. I winked at her and pushed the plate a little closer so she had better access.

After we finished, we sat and chatted for a while, not quite ready to break up the party, even though most of us were staying in one place and could easily continue the party. Finally Alice stood up.

"We need to get going," she announced. "It's getting later and we've got stuff going on."

I checked my watch and groaned. It was nearly 5. "Is there really any point to going to sleep now?" I asked with a yawn as we headed towards the exit.

Bella laughed. "You could stay up but you'd be alone, I think the rest of us are pretty tired. Plus, we're going all day and you won't be allowed to stay home alone."

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "I won't? I bet I could keep you awake."

Her cheeks flushed in the darkness and Emmett laughed and elbowed me in the side.

"Are you two in for everything?" asked Bella, turning to Angela and Ben.

Ben shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do," he grinned.

Angela rolled her eyes. "I may skip the capitol tour, but I'll be there for the movies and dinner." She pulled Bella into a hug and said something that made Bella blush and laugh, looking at me sneakily.

Bella's POV

Edward didn't try anything when we got home. Truth be told, he was as exhausted as the rest of us were. There were quiet sounds throughout the house of people brushing teeth and using the bathroom before everything settled into silence. I lay in the darkness and stared into space. Edward pulled me against his chest and curled around me.

"Ready to talk now?"

I sighed. "Not really."

"Do I get a hint as to what the issue is?"

"Jake. And my mom."

He was silent, his thumb rubbing up and down on my bare stomach. "Your mom is sleeping with Jake?"

I snorted into my pillow. "Not even. He's still a virgin."

"Really?"

"Well, according to Angela."

He was quiet, his thumb still rubbing. "So what, your mom wants you to get back together with him?"

I sighed. "Yes. She hasn't said so in so many words, but she kind of disapproves of you and our relationship. She's convinced that if I'd stayed with Jake, that I'd still be a virgin and we'd be happily engaged and planning a wonderful future of babies and work here in Austin."

"And instead you're living in sin with a guy she doesn't know in a distant state and who knows what the future holds." He sounded almost sad when he said it, like he was afraid he'd screwed up my future.

I twisted in his arms and wriggled up so my face was level with his. I couldn't see anything in the darkness but I knew he was looking at me. "I'm living in sin, sure, but I love you. I'm a girl, so of course I'm planning a wonderful future full of babies and work but I can do it in either Chicago or Boston or Springfield or Austin or wherever you are." I reached up and smoothed his hair in the darkness. "I just want to be with you, Edward. Everything else is gravy."

He sighed softly in the darkness and kissed me. "What the fuck did I do to deserve you?"

"You don't deserve me," I teased. "That's why you're always so insecure and nervous when I talk future plans."

He chuckled softly. I noticed then that the room wasn't quite as dark as it had been. The sun was rising now. He kissed my forehead and pulled me tight against him. I snuggled close and drifted off to sleep.

Edward's POV

If ever there were a perfect moment to propose, that was probably it. Shit.

Bella's POV

We were all dragging ass the next day as we wandered around the capitol building. Alice was snap happy with the pictures, ordering us to pose for her. I'm sure there weren't many smiles in her pictures but she didn't seem to care.

Edward looked somewhat troubled, as though he were missing something or had forgotten something. I linked my arm in his as we walked across the grass back towards the car.

"Everything ok?"

He grinned. "Yeah, I'm great. You?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "If you're so great then why are you in a funk?"

"I'm tired. You kept me up until like, 6 this morning professing your undying love and talking about how your mom wants to make it with Jake."

I rolled my eyes. "Witty."

"Shut up, I'm tired." He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

We headed back to the house for lunch and naps, deciding to skip the movies that afternoon and just go after dinner.

Edward passed out almost as soon as he hit the pillow and I wasn't far behind him.

Edward's POV

The Oasis really was a pretty awesome place. We were seated around a huge picnic table on a deck overlooking the lake and it was gorgeous. We watched the sunset over the water, turning it orange and gold and lighting up the red and gold in Bella's hair.

To our surprise, there was live music that night, so after we finished eating, Bella dragged me out on the dance floor in the sparse crowd and we danced. She taught me the Texas Two Step and I refreshed her swing moves. A song that seemed perfect for Bella was played and I grinned, spinning her in and out as she laughed. _Brown Eyed Girl_ was definitely my Bella. I really did feel like without her, I'd be lost.

The song ended and she wrapped her arms around me, kissing me and laughing against my face at the same time. I tightened my arms around her waist and twirled her lightly. She tilted her head back and I sighed. Another perfect moment missed, all because I'd finally taken the damn ring out of my pocket that afternoon when we lay down to nap and forgot to put it back in. I was such a jackass.


	38. Chapter 38

Edward's POV

We all opted to sleep in the next day, not leaving our rooms until afternoon. Emmett sat staring into his coffee like some kind of zombie.

"I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation, and we haven't even done any drinking."

Bella chuckled and slid a plate of scrambled eggs at him. "We can go drinking tonight if you want. Sixth Street is pretty popular."

"I'm up for that," shrugged Rose, taking a bite off his plate. "Though we shouldn't stay out too late if we want to go to San Antonio tomorrow."

Alice nodded excitedly. "I'm actually really looking forward to that. I've heard about Six Flags and the Alamo and all that."

"The Alamo is on Friday," reminded Jasper, grabbing Emmett's bacon.

Emmett scowled. "Do I get to eat my own fucking breakfast?" he demanded, shielding his plate like a fifth grader taking a test.

Jane snickered and reached past him to grab a piece of toast. He scowled at her and took it back, minus one bite.

Chris laughed. "You are a brave man. I learned quickly not to get between Jane and her food."

Emmett grunted. "I'm pretty sure I could take her in a fight."

"I don't know about that," Alice laughed. "She fights dirty."

Jane winked and I handed her the next plate of food. Before too long, we were all settled around the kitchen eating. It was quiet as we were all still exhausted from the previous couple of days. Emmett was right: we were going to need a vacation from our vacation.

That afternoon and early evening were spent watching some of the movies and participating in the activities that were involved with that. We headed home for dinner around 7 and then changed and headed back to Sixth Street.

To be honest, the days and nights were starting to blur a little here in Austin. We were going so much and there wasn't a lot of time to just sit and be. Originally, Bella had planned for us to have Friday off, but there was too much that people wanted to see in San Antonio so we had to split it into two days.

On Sixth Street, we started out at The Library. Bella pulled me upstairs to the booths where it was quieter and snuggled up with me, wrapping her arms around my chest and kissing the underside of my jaw. I wasn't sure what had brought on this bought of affection but I wasn't going to push it away. The others joined us and we took up two booths, laughing and teasing while we drank our first couple of rounds. Bella stayed securely in my lap and stoically refused all alcohol, claiming status as the DD. Angela took the status for the other car so Ben partook of the beers we passed his way. He looked like he felt a little guilty about it, but not enough to refuse it. Gotta love the Southern raised kids.

I didn't catch the names of many of the other bars, but Bella, Angela, and Ben seemed to know their way around. Angela and Ben I could understand, Bella was surprising. She didn't strike me as the kind of high school kid who'd spent much time out carousing.

Thursday morning dawned way too fucking early. Bella enticed me out of bed by flashing me and inviting me to join her in the shower. That was something I couldn't refuse, so I was up and out of bed in a heartbeat. We met everyone else downstairs and piled into the cars. It was a quiet drive down to San Antonio as most of us tried to continue sleeping off hangovers. We pulled up at the gates to Six Flags Fiesta Texas just as they were opening. Emmett perked right up and he and Rosalie took off. Apparently she loved roller coasters. It was amazing the things I was finding out about that woman now that I wasn't dating her.

Bella grabbed my hand and pulled me towards another roller coaster. She grinned at me as we climbed in.

"Do you like screaming?"

I quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

"Because you're going to scream like a little girl on this ride."

I grinned at her. "You're on, Swan."

She laughed at the accidental rhyme. It was cut off when the ride suddenly rocketed backwards. I grabbed onto my harness and screamed, completely caught off guard. When the ride stopped, Bella was laughing so hard I thought she was going to pee herself. I shoved her lightly as we walked to the next ride. She giggled and wrapped her arms around me.

"I love how predictable you can be," she smiled up at me.

I rolled my eyes and held her tightly against me. "I love…you."

She smiled up at me, her eyes softening. "I love you, too, Edward."

I felt a flood of warmth go over me. I would never get over hearing that from her lips. We walked in silence for a bit and it hit me. This was it. This was the moment. It may not knock her panties off like I promised, but this was a perfect moment. I even had the ring.

My hand went instinctively to my pocket and the lump. I squeezed it and started to put my hand in my pocket when Alice ran up to us, her eyes shining.

"I found a ride that made Jasper scream like a little girl." She was practically dancing in place.

Bella grinned. "I found one for Edward. Did Rose get Emmett?"

"I haven't found her yet. Which one got Edward?"

Bella pointed to the ride behind us and Alice's smile grew. She nodded and disappeared as suddenly as she'd appeared, apparently off to find Jasper and make him scream again.

"So was this some sort of devious plan of yours?" I asked amused.

She smiled up at me, her big brown eyes full of innocence. "Me? Devious?"

I snorted and hooked an arm around her head, pulling her in for a kiss. We started towards another ride. It was hours later I realized that I hadn't proposed.

Bella's POV

Edward seemed a little off that evening at the concert. I looked up at him curiously but he wouldn't meet my gaze. It was almost like he was embarrassed or something. I couldn't figure it out. We left the concert venue relatively early, since we were doing more the next day and everyone was exhausted, and he was silent the whole way to the house.

We said our good nights and headed upstairs. I changed quietly, waiting for him to say something. We were curled up in bed, his arm wrapped around me securely holding me against his chest. I could feel his breaths and his heartbeat against my back and I finally had it. I rolled over awkwardly.

"Edward, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." The tone clearly said there was something wrong.

I sighed. "Edward, don't bullshit me. I can read you like a book. Something's up. You're upset about something or embarrassed or both. It's been going on all week. What is it?"

"I'm not discussing this with you. Drop it."

I bristled. I hated it when people told me what to do like that. I stiffened in his arms and rolled away from him, putting space in between us on the bed. He was silent for a moment.

"Bella…"

"I'm not discussing this with you," I retorted.

He growled, frustrated. It turned me on a little but no way in hell was I giving in first. If he was going to be a douche, fine. He could be a celibate douche.


	39. Chapter 39

Edward's POV

We needed to go home, that much was becoming painfully clear. We were all exhausted and getting short with each other. Bella wasn't talking to me and I knew it was because she was frustrated with me. I was frustrated with myself but I couldn't get over that hump that was keeping me from just doing it. I wanted to have more than just a ring for her, I wanted to have a definite future plan and at the moment, I didn't even know where I'd be living come June. We rode in separate cars to San Antonio and she linked arms with Alice when we got to the Alamo, avoiding me. I scowled at her back but didn't say anything.

"What did you do this time?" Jasper grinned as he walked beside me.

I sighed. "I'm pissing her off by making her wait."

"For a proposal?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "I don't feel like I have just tons to offer her right now. I want to have something settled before I propose. I want to have a real job and know where I'm going to be next year."

Jasper nodded. "I kind of get that but still. It's got to be annoying the shit out of her that everyone else is engaged, you proposed in one of the shittiest ways possible and then promised a better one and haven't followed through." He shrugged. "I think the girls are out for blood, or will be soon."

I groaned. "I'll do it before school's out, I swear. I've actually got a great idea." I didn't but I wasn't going to admit that. Jasper gave me a look telling me he wasn't buying what I was selling.

"Fine," I scowled. "I don't have a clue. How did you do it?"

He chuckled. "I wasn't all that original. We went out to dinner and while she was in the bathroom I ordered some champagne and proposed when it got to the table." He shrugged. "I know Alice would have planned something phenomenal, but I'm not that kind of thinker."

"Think I could ask Alice to help me?"

"You could. I'm not sure she'd do it. I hear Bella wants you to do it on your own."

I scowled at the dark hair swinging temptingly ahead of us. "Maybe she's ready for me to just do it. Maybe I should just do it now."

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "You have the ring with you?"

I reached for the ring and sighed. "No, I left it at the house."

He chuckled. "Then you're screwed my friend." He patted me on the shoulder and headed away from me.

I caught up with Bella a little while later and looked down at her contritely. "Truce?"

She looked up at me guardedly. "What does that involve?"

"We don't force each other to talk about what's bothering them and we get to be friendly again?"

She laughed softly and nodded. "I guess you're not the only one keeping secrets, huh."

"Nope." I slipped my arms around her and pulled her against me, kissing her head. "So are we ok?"

"Well, obviously not, but I'm willing to let it go for now. We'll discuss it all later."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes dear."

Bella's POV

I hadn't managed to get Edward to talk to me but I didn't want to drag out this whole being angry thing. It wasn't me. We wandered around the Alamo and then headed to the zoo. I wasn't a huge fan of the zoo but Alice was practically giddy about being there. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the dispenser to get giraffe food.

"So?"

"So what?"

"How's it going with Edward?"

I shrugged. "Fine. We're both keeping secrets."

"Why?" she wrinkled her nose as the giraffe's slimy tongue practically wrapped around her wrist.

I laughed softly. "I think we're just a little stressed right now. We really need time to just rest, I think, maybe spend some time apart and not be shoved in each other's faces all the time."

She nodded musing. "We can do a girls' car and a boys' car tomorrow. Then you can have your space."

I nodded. "Sounds good."

She grimaced and I handed her a tissue from my purse followed by hand sanitizer, laughing as she cleaned up from the giraffe. She handed me back the hand sanitizer and shoved the tissue in her pocket.

"So how's wedding stuff coming?" I asked curiously as we walked on, a nice distance behind the others.

She grinned. Clearly, this was her current favorite subject. "Really good, actually. I've got the dresses picked out finally, and Mom's talked to a few vendors for me. She narrowed things down to about three options for each and I'll hit those after graduation and make some choices."

I nodded. I didn't really care that much. I was almost dreading eventually planning my own wedding. There was so much that went into a wedding and I didn't feel like I was really up to it. Maybe Edward would be ok with an elopement.

"Bella?"

I flushed. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"How much I hate weddings," I admitted with a laugh. "I think I'll just elope when the time comes."

Her jaw dropped. "How can anyone hate weddings?"

I laughed. "I just don't see the sense in spending so much money on one day. No offense."

Alice shrugged. "I'm not offended. I will be if I don't get to go to your wedding, though."

I grinned. "Yeah, I doubt I'd actually completely elope. I'd probably just plan a destination wedding with a small group of close family and friends."

She nodded. "Well, you know that I'm willing to help out in any way with any and all hypothetical weddings."

"Maybe you should focus on the proposal first."

She nodded. "Truth."

Edward's POV

Bella ate quietly at the Mexican restaurant we hit for lunch. She snuggled against me in the car on the way back to Austin and fell asleep. I held her against me, thoughtful. Alice looked over at me.

"She's going to be patient Edward, don't worry."

I grinned. "Thanks."

"I'm not, however. Do it."

I rolled my eyes at her and kissed the top of Bella's head. When we got to the house, she headed upstairs and curled up in the big bed. I let her sleep and hung out downstairs with everyone else. We were all quiet and when the time came for us to head out for the last shows, no one moved.

"Can we just stay here and sleep?" sighed Jane exhaustedly. "We've got such a long drive tomorrow and I'm completely beat."

"I'm with you on that one," yawned Rosalie. "Plus its Friday. We should order pizza and watch a movie or something."

"Oh my god yes." Chris leaned forward, looking excited for the first time in ages. "I'm so on board for a movie. Bella's parents have got some awesome stuff. I'm tempted to steal stuff."

I chuckled. "She'd probably loan it to you if you ask. She's not chintzy with her stuff."

"Then let's do it," Alice decided. "I'll order some pizza and you guys pick out a movie. We'll stay in and rest and pack and do whatever the hell we want tonight."

I grinned and headed upstairs. Bella was still fast asleep in her parents' bed. She looked beautiful, her hair spread on the pillow and her arms hugging the pillow to her chest. I sat on the edge of the bed and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She moved slightly and frowned, opening her eyes and looking up at me.

"Were you watching me sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Stalker."

I grinned and leaned down, kissing her lightly. "We've decided to skip the music acts and stay in tonight. Alice is going to order the pizza and Chris is practically salivating in eagerness to get to your parents' DVD collection."

She chuckled softly and yawned, stretching in place and twisting in that way that drove me crazy. "So I can come down in my pjs?"

"Totally. Well, unless it's that little nightie with the flowers on it."

She snickered. "That's my favorite, though."

I laughed. "So wear it later."

She sat up and kissed me before crawling out of the bed and heading into the bathroom. I headed downstairs and claimed the big armchair for the two of us. She came down after a few minutes and snuggled up against me.

Apparently, Chris was a huge Bogart fan because we spent the evening watching a boxed set of Bogart movies that Bella's parents had. I'd never seen the famous whistling scene and that was amended that night. Bella fell asleep against me and it was like everything was the way it was supposed to be. We were friends and lovers and everything was really pretty great.

The next morning dawned early as we all loaded up and piled into the cars. To my surprise, the girls opted to all ride together leaving me stuck with Jasper, Emmett, and Chris. Who promptly got into a farting war. Sometimes I hated being a guy.

Bella's POV

The ride home felt longer than the ride to Austin had been. It was startling to realize I thought of Decatur as home but I really did. The three guys and Alice were my new family now, not that I'd replaced Mom and Dad with them. We dragged ourselves up the stairs and into our rooms. I collapsed on the bed before changing and fell asleep.

The next morning, Edward was gone when I woke up. I shuffled downstairs and yawned when I saw him on the living room couch. There were two pieces of paper on the coffee table in front of him.

"What's that?"

"I got letters from both Springfield and Chicago."

"Well?"

"I got in."

"To both?"

"No, just one."

"Oh." I sat on the edge of the armchair and waited expectantly. Edward didn't look at me. I guess I didn't have to ask where.

"What about wait-listing?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

I wanted to cry. "Well, there's always Champaign, right?" I asked hopefully.

He shook his head again. "No, I got that rejection already, remember?"

I nodded and moved to sit down next to him, feeling numb. "Did you get in anywhere yet?" I knew he'd gotten several envelopes, big and small, but I couldn't remember where they all went.

"Chicago and Boston."

Might as well have been the moon.

He shrugged. "The universe is out to get me I guess. This fucking sucks."

I rested my head on the table. I couldn't agree more.

Edward's POV

There was no fucking way I could justify proposing now. If I gave up on medical school, I'd still have to leave Decatur to find a decent job. It just didn't make sense. I'd pretty much decided that I'd go to Chicago for school. Mom and Dad had already told me I'd be welcome to stay with them. It would be weird moving back home, especially after four years on my own, but it would definitely help with expenses.

Bella looked like she wanted to cry all day. She managed to keep it together in front of the others, though.

Monday morning when I woke up, Bella wasn't in bed with me. I headed downstairs and found her sitting at the kitchen table eating cereal and staring off into space.

"I've been thinking," she said when I walked in. "It's possible for me to transfer I think. I mean, I can study journalism anywhere, right?"

I nodded and grabbed a bowl of cereal for myself and settled at the table across from her. "Yeah, but what about living arrangements and your parents?"

She stiffened slightly. "I thought I might live with you," she admitted in a low voice. "And my parents will be confused, but I think they'll go along with whatever I decide."

"Oh." I shifted uncomfortably.

"But I guess it depends on where you're going to go. Have you decided that?"

"Chicago."

She nodded. "Well, maybe I could stay with Carl and Cassie if your parents aren't ok with me staying there." She stopped suddenly. "I'm assuming a lot of things here. Do you even want me to come with you? Or would you rather go by yourself?"

"I want you with me wherever I go," I said softly.

She relaxed slightly and smiled. "So what do you think about me transferring?"

I sighed and sat back in my chair. "I think you need to make a decision that's best for you, Bella. You can't plan your life around me."

"What if I want to?" she demanded defensively.

I ran my fingers through my hair. "I want you to enjoy college and I'm not sure that moving in with me is the best way for you to do that," I admitted.

She scowled at me. "Why do you think you know what's best for me, just because you're older? Fuck you. I'm not making a stupid ass decision here. I'm talking about transferring universities. University of Chicago would be less expensive than Millikin, so my parents will love that aspect of it."

"Why do you want to follow me?" I demanded, angrily.

"Because I love you, you asshole," she shouted at me.

We sat in silence and stared at each other.

"Fuck," I said finally for lack of anything better to say.

She rolled her eyes and stood up, taking our empty bowls and rinsing them out. "I didn't intend to shout that at you."

"I love you too you know."

She turned to me and sighed. "I know."

I stood up and pulled her against me in a hug. "I'm shit at expressing it I guess, but I do. More than anything."

She rested her cheek against my chest and sighed softly. "Then we'll be ok."

I rubbed her back. "I sure hope so."

She looked up at me. "So do you have any other objections to me coming with you to Chicago other than you think I'll be missing out on the fun stuff of college?"

I stroked her hair. "No."

"Then how about I make a deal with you to go have fun when I can?"

I leaned down and kissed her. "Promise?"

"Promise."


	40. Chapter 40

April

Bella's POV

"Bella, I don't feel too good."

I looked up from my homework at Todd just as he leaned over and threw up in my lap. I stared at it in horror, fighting my own urge to throw up. Easily the most disgusting thing to ever happen to me in my life. I swallowed hard and reached for the roll of paper towels conveniently located on the table and tried to mop up some of the vomit in my lap.

"I'm sorry." Todd looked like he wanted to cry.

"It's ok, sweetie. Go to the bathroom ok?"

He nodded and disappeared. Hillary was staring at me, her face a slight green. "Bathroom," I ordered. She nodded and ran off down the stairs behind Todd.

I grimaced as I carefully cleaned myself up and checked to see if there was anything on the floor. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, it was all on me. I threw everything in the trash can and pulled the bag out, swallowing hard against my own nausea. The odor was getting to me quickly.

I headed downstairs and paused at the bathroom. Hillary was lying on the tile floor looking miserable and Todd was huddled over the toilet.

"I'll be back in a second, ok kids?"

They nodded but didn't sit up or look at me. I hurried downstairs and pulled my phone out on the way. I punched in Edward's number and put the phone to my ear as I carried the bag outside.

"Hello?"

"Are you home?"

"Um…no. Why? Should I be?"

I sighed. "It would help. Hillary and Todd are sick and Todd just threw up on me so I need a change of clothes." I grimaced as I looked down at myself. "I was hoping you could bring it to me so I didn't have to leave them." I looked towards the house and sighed. No one else was home. "I'll call Anne and see if she's ok with me wearing her bathrobe."

"I can come home and get it for you. It's not a big deal."

"No, its fine. I'll make it work. Where are you anyway?" I started back up the stairs to check on the kids.

"Um…I'm doing something for someone."

I raised my eyebrows. "That's not vague at all."

"So you think you'll be late with the kids then?"

"Maybe. Robert works late on Fridays and Anne mentioned yesterday she might be late tonight."

"Ok. I was hoping we could go to dinner tonight, just the two of us."

I melted a little and paused in the hallway. "That's sweet, but having just been vomited on, I'm pretty sure I'll want to scrub myself down and go to bed."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm almost done here. I'll be home in a little while. Want me to come keep you company?"

I sighed and looked in at the kids. They looked miserable. "Maybe. Can you at least bring me clean clothes?"

"Not a problem."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and entered the bathroom. "OK, who wants a bath first?"

Edward's POV

I sighed as I flipped my phone closed. I looked around the practice room at Millikin and frowned. So much work for nothing. I flipped on the lights and started blowing out candles so the wax would cool before I tossed them in the bag. I grabbed the roses off the piano and tucked them in the bag. The small cooler with the champagne was still in the car. I made sure I had everything before I shut the door behind me.

The pretty blonde at the desk looked up curiously. "Your girl not show up?"

I shook my head. "Something came up."

"I'd show up if I were her." She eyed me hungrily.

I rolled my eyes. "The kids are sick," I explained.

"Well, maybe some other time then." I didn't know if she meant Bella or her and I probably didn't want to know the answer to that. I was a little concerned at the fact that implied children didn't discourage her.

The ring in my pocket seemed heavier than ever.

When I got home, I could smell something cooking in the kitchen. I headed in there first to check the timer Bella always set. It was about to go off, so I pulled the food out of the oven and set it on the stove. I pulled plates out and put them on the table before heading upstairs.

I rummaged through Bella's room and pulled out a pair of jeans and a clean shirt. I hesitated before getting some clean underwear too. I'd pulled them off of her enough times it shouldn't feel weird to be handling them normally, but it really did feel kind of pervy.

I stuffed everything into a bag and headed across the lawns. I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

"Hello?" she answered softly.

"It's me," I said just as quietly for no real reason. "Can I just come in?"

"Yeah, come up to the second floor. I'm in Todd's room with him."

I flipped the phone closed and let myself in. It was weird being in the Bonner's house without them. I started up the steps hesitantly before I heard running feet and then the sounds of retching. I grimaced and continued up. I paused at the head of the steps and watched as Hillary walked across the hall miserably. She didn't see me so I kept on down the hall. It looked like this house was just like ours and Todd's room was Alice's. I poked my head in and smiled.

Bella was stretched out on the bed next to Todd, stroking his hair as he lay looking completely miserable. There was a towel spread on the bed and a trash can with a plastic liner in it next to the bed, sitting on another towel. There was a glass of water on the nightstand.

I knocked lightly on the door. They both turned and Todd smiled feebly at me. I held up the bag and Bella smiled.

"You're my hero." She kissed Todd lightly on the temple and crawled off the bed. She took the bag from me and smiled. "Can you sit with him for a bit while I change and check on Hillary?"

I nodded and kissed her lightly before crossing and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How are you, little man?"

Todd sighed. "I'm sick. You know that word I'm not supposed to say?"

I grinned and nodded.

"I looked it up once. That's what I feel like."

I laughed. "Well, at least you've still got your sense of humor."

He grinned at me, then leaned over and threw up. I sighed. I needed to get used to this if I was going to be a doctor. I leaned over to take care of him.

Bella's POV

I felt gross, even after changing, but the clean clothes definitely helped. I pulled my phone out and called Anne as I headed into Hillary's room.

"Anne Bonner."

"Hi Anne, its Bella."

"Hi Bella." She sounded surprised. "Is everything ok?"

I sighed and sat on Hillary's bed and smoothed her hair back from her sweaty face. "No, actually. Both kids are really sick. Throwing up sick. I'm not sure what to do except try to keep them hydrated. We've got some towels and buckets but they're both pretty miserable." As if on cue, Hillary leaned over and threw up.

"Oh no." Anne sounded worried. "Are you ok to stay a little while? I can get out of here but not for at least an hour."

"I should be fine. Edward came to bring me a change of clothes and he's keeping Todd company while I sit with Hillary."

"Ok. I hope whatever it is isn't contagious." I grimaced. I hadn't even thought of that.

I stuffed my phone back into my pocket and studied Hillary. "Anything I can get you, sweetie?"

She shook her head. "Unless death is available."

I chuckled softly. "Nope, sorry. I can find a magazine or video or something if you want."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "I think I'd like to sleep, actually."

I nodded and stood up. "If you need anything, throw a shoe."

She laughed as I handed her one of her chunky slides and headed out to check on the boys.

Edward was sitting on the floor with a Harry Potter book, reading. I smiled and crawled into the bed with Todd. I'd read all the books to Todd over the past few months so I knew what was going on. I'd even caught Edward reading my copies after Halloween so he'd understand what was going on in the movies.

Todd snuggled against me and I closed my eyes, letting the sound of Edward's voice lull me to sleep.

Edward's POV

I felt bad for the kid. He was so tired and couldn't sleep much since he kept waking up to throw up. I helped him drink some water and switched out the plastic bags in his and in Hillary's rooms for clean ones before I settled on the floor and kept on reading. I was really getting into the story and didn't want to stop. At least Bella had a copy at the house I could read.

"Hey, how are they?"

I looked up and smiled at Anne. "I think they'll survive. I've gotten them both to drink some water and threw out the vomit bags." She made a face.

"Thank you so much for coming." She looked at Bella and chuckled. "I hope she doesn't get sick, too."

I nodded in agreement. That was not a great prospect. I gently woke her up and we headed out. I grabbed Bella's bag and the trash bag she'd put her dirty clothes in and followed her across the yard. She looked exhausted as she climbed the steps to the second floor. I watched her go then headed into the kitchen.

The others had obviously eaten without us, which I didn't blame them for, though I was annoyed that they hadn't left us any. I grabbed a bottle of water and headed upstairs. I was halfway up the steps to my room when I heard Bella throwing up. Whatever the kids had, she had. I was probably close behind.

I turned the corner and saw Bella sitting back on the floor, resting her head on the wall.

"I'm sick now."

I nodded and handed her a bottle of water. "Sip it."

She did so obediently. "What do you think it is?" her voice was already hoarse.

"If we're lucky, a 24 hour bug."

She nodded and closed her eyes. "Sorry I called you over."

I shrugged and sat on the floor next to her. "I'd have gotten it anyway I'm sure. It's not like I was going to leave you alone you know." I reached over and grabbed a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear.

She smiled and rested her head on my shoulder. We sat in silence for a moment before she lurched forward and threw up again.

Bella's POV

It was a miserable night. I was up every half hour to throw up and every time, Edward was there to hold my hair back. I finally had the presence of mind to grab a hair tie, which ended up being good because that's when it hit Edward. We took turns throwing up and finally fell into a restless sleep huddled together on the bathroom floor.

I woke up when I heard Alice calling our names up the stairs. I pushed myself up and dragged myself into the other room and stood at the head of the stairs.

"Go away," I rasped. "We're sick."

Alice looked up at me with surprise. "Really? I thought you were just having sex all night."

I frowned at her, confused as to how vomiting sounded like sex. "No. Vomiting."

"Can I get you anything?"

I rubbed my eyes. "Water and saltines. Just leave them at the door and we'll get it. No sense in the whole house getting sick."

She nodded and disappeared. I headed back into the bathroom where Edward was sitting up bleary eyed. I held out my hand and helped him up off the floor. We stumbled into the bedroom wordlessly and crawled back into bed. He pulled me close to him, resting his head on my chest before going back to sleep. I wasn't too far behind him.

Edward's POV

The next day was kind of a haze. I remember Bella shoving water and crackers at me and I was amazed she had the presence of mind to ask for them, let alone eat some herself and get me to eat some. She was just as sick as I was and yet she was still taking care of me. Must be a woman thing.

By Saturday night, whatever it was seemed to be out of our systems and we slept all the way through. I held Bella lightly, because if she felt like I did, squeezing was not an attractive idea. Sunday we managed to eat some toast and plain eggs before curling back up in bed and sleeping the rest of the day.

In a way, it was incredibly comforting to be sick with Bella and to have her take care of me. It proved to me that this was it, this was right. It was also incredibly frustrating that I couldn't take care of her right back. I was a complete waste of space when I was sick, grumpy and mean to everyone, while she still had a sense of humor and could be pleasant. I envied her that.

Sunday night I couldn't sleep and I held Bella against me as we lay in the bed. Her deep even breathing told me she was asleep. I lightly traced my fingertips up and down her bare arm, catching the silky strands of hair between my fingers and twisting them for a moment before letting go. It was hard to believe I'd only known her for 8 months. Those 8 months had changed everything I knew or thought I knew about what I wanted out of life. Before Bella, I hadn't ever really thought that seriously about marriage and now, I was missing opportunities left and right to propose. I should just do it at this point, but now I felt like I'd dragged it out enough that I needed to make it spectacular.

She shifted against me and sighed, fisting the front of my shirt and wrapping her leg around mine. I kissed the top of her head and closed my eyes, giving in to the sleepiness that was slowly creeping over me. The moment would come and it might not be spectacular or earth shattering or the perfect most wonderful proposal in the history of man, but it would happen. And she would say yes.

***

Tali: So, the practice room was borrowed and embellished from another story, Breaking Bella. Great, great story, I highly recommend it. Just wanted to let people know so no one thinks I'm stealing from her.


	41. Chapter 41

May

Bella's POV

Before too long, the tests were all over with and school was out, for me and the kids. We spent our days at the park playing. The warm sun felt nice after so many months of cold. I was really starting to miss Texas.

One afternoon at the park, my phone deedled at me. I yawned as I picked it up, smiling when I saw it was Mom.

"Hi Mom."

"Hi sweetie. How's your summer going?"

I laughed. "So far so good. How about you?"

"We're getting ready for your visit. Your dad and I are really looking forward to seeing you."

"Me too." I grinned.

"Have you figured things out for next year yet?"

I shifted uncomfortably. I hadn't told her everything yet. "Well, yeah. Mostly anyway."

"Mostly?"

I sighed. "I'm going to transfer to Chicago. It'll be cheaper."

There was a long silence. "But you'll have to pay for rent, sweetheart."

"Yeah, but it won't be that bad. I'm going to stay with Edward's parents at first."

"Oh. That's nice of them. Is that until you can find an apartment, I'm guessing?"

I nodded. "Yeah. We haven't been able to find anything just right yet."

"We?"

This was the part I'd been dreading. "Yeah. Edward's going to Chicago, too so we're going to get an apartment together."

"Yes, I remembered that." She didn't sound happy in the slightest. "Are his parents ok with this?"

"Yeah, actually. They're helping us find a place. It's tough since everything close to the school is out of our price range. He's already put in his two weeks here and is moving up to Chicago after that and he'll be looking for a new job over the summer. We're hoping that everything can be settled by the time I get home."

Mom was quiet. "So you've got a lot of things worked out then."

"Yeah."

"And your father and I don't get any say in this?"

I sighed. "Mom, please, I'm an adult. I haven't ever done anything to make you doubt my decision making abilities. It's not like we're doing anything illegal or even something no one else has ever done. People the world over are living together like this."

"I'm not mother to people the world over. I thought I raised you better than this." I felt like I'd been slapped.

"You raised me to save sex for someone I loved and was committed to and to follow my heart when it came to romance but to also use my head. I'm doing all of that."

"What kind of commitment is he offering you?" she demanded. "I mean marriage, Bella, not empty promises."

I flinched. I knew she'd bring that up. We still weren't engaged and it had been nearly two months since the sex proposal I'd refused. "I know they're not empty, Mom."

She sighed. "Well, I don't want this to spoil your vacation, so we won't discuss it with your father until later, alright?"

I nodded my agreement. "Alright."

We discussed my flight details and signed off. I was fighting back tears at this point. Maybe I should have just accepted the first proposal. Nothing else seemed like it was coming anytime soon. I didn't want to admit it to Edward but I'd feel tons better about living with him if we were engaged at least.

I composed myself and rounded up the kids, heading back to the house while Hillary and Todd chattered the whole way about their summer plans. I realized with a pang that I hadn't discussed the summer and next year with Anne. I hated to leave them but couldn't watch them from three hours away. I wiped away a few tears as I headed up the steps with the kids.

Edward's POV

When I got home, the windows were open all over the house, letting in the warm summer breeze. I could smell the odor of cleaning products all over the house and knew that cleaning was going on. I grimaced, realizing what that meant: parents.

While the parents knew that we "kids" were having sex, none of them approved so there was a careful charade that was erected for them. Alice and Bella would be sleeping in Bella's room while Alice's parents took her rarely used room and Jasper would on the couch in the living room while his parents took his room. I was in the basement.

I trotted up the steps and into the house, not at all eager for the arrival of the parents in a few hours. I stopped when I saw Bella sitting on the couch in the living room, her eyes red and swollen.

"Bella?" I asked hesitantly.

She looked up and gave me a wobbly smile. "Hey. I was just finishing up." She stood up and wiped her eyes quickly. "Dust got in my eyes."

I reached for her and kissed her temple. "Bullshit. What happened?"

She sighed and rested her cheek on my chest. "My mom and Anne. I finally told Mom about next year and she got angry, just like I knew she would. I think she's waiting to flip out in person. I told Anne today about moving and she started crying. Hormones, I guess. Hillary and Todd cried too. It was really kind of heartbreaking."

I nodded and rubbed her back. "You don't have to come to Chicago, Bella."

"I know." She sounded exhausted. "But do I make myself happy or everyone else happy? That's the question."

I knew what would make me happy but I really didn't want Bella to feel like I was pushing her one way or another. She looked up at me, her chin on my chest.

"I guess I'll forge ahead with what makes me happy and damn the rest."

I grinned and kissed her nose. "When do all the parents get here?"

"In a couple hours, I think. They're driving in together and your dad isn't off from work until 6."

I checked my watch. "It's 7:30 now. So that means we have time for one last romp before we have to behave for the weekend."

She laughed and pushed me away from her a little. "We have cleaning to do and I'm cooking dinner."

"Come on, you know you want to." I leaned down and kissed her neck, nuzzling her earlobe in a way that I knew drove her crazy. She grunted and pushed against me again, a little less firmly this time though.

"Cullen." I found it strangely arousing when she used my last name for some reason. I pulled her harder against me and slipped one hand under her shirt.

"At least take me upstairs," she muttered. "I just cleaned in here."

I grinned and wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her up as I straightened. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself up higher to wrap her legs around my waist. I grinned and kissed her again.

Bella's POV

I rolled away from Edward afterwards and grabbed my clothes off the floor. "We need to clean up again. Your parents are sleeping in this bed tonight."

He made a face and climbed out. "Yeah, the thought of them sleeping here does kind of weird me out." He pulled on his boxers then turned and stripped the bed. I grinned at him and pulled down some clean sheets from the closet.

We quickly made the bed and I carried the sheets downstairs. I'd washed them that morning, but still felt the need to wash them again. Weird what parents inspired in us.

I dropped the sheets off in the basement then headed back upstairs. The house was probably the cleanest it had ever been since I'd been living there. Thank goodness the windows were open, we'd probably have died from fumes. I stopped in the kitchen and checked dinner. I'd actually put some effort into it and had created a pretty fancy dinner for all of us. I was a little anxious as to how it would turn out. Alice and Jasper were at the store getting fresh flowers to put around the house and Emmett was out with Rosalie. I checked everything and sighed. It was all to the point of last minute prep so I couldn't do anything. I was so ready for this whole weekend to be over.

"When do we eat?" asked Edward coming in then and looking around the room.

"About 30 minutes after everyone's here."

He nodded and looked around. "You know 10 people aren't going to fit around that table."

I glared at him. "Yes, I'm aware. We've got the folding tables set up in the dining and living room or did you miss that when you came in?"

He grinned innocently. "Well, when I got home I had other things on my mind."

I rolled my eyes and pointed to the cabinet. "Set the tables."

"Yes ma'am." He saluted me and set to work.

I checked the clock and sighed. It was after 8 so hopefully the parents would be arriving soon.

"We're back," called Alice as she and Jasper came in the front door. "I've got peonies!"

I laughed and headed into the living room. "I'll take those, you go make sure your room is parent friendly. Maybe sheets need to be changed?"

Alice's eyes widened. "Shit, I forgot about that." She shoved the flowers in my arms and ran upstairs, pulling Jasper behind her.

Edward snickered as he finished setting the tables. I was about to say something when his phone rang. He grinned at me and fished it out. He grinned at the caller ID.

"Hey Dad, where are you?"

I perked up and listened to him intently. He nodded and grinned at me. "Yeah, Bella's got dinner ready to go whenever you get here." My heart skipped a couple of beats in my chest when he chuckled. "No, it'll be fine. She loves to cook. Ok. We'll see you in a bit then."

He flipped his phone closed and grinned at me. "They wanted to take us out."

My jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

He nodded. "They'll probably insist for tomorrow after graduation, though."

"Well, that's fine. I doubt we'll much be into cooking after all the driving."

He grinned and pulled me close, kissing me. "They're about 15 minutes out."

I pushed him back. "Fifteen minutes?" I could barely keep myself from screeching. "I need to get started."

He laughed as I started on dinner.

Edward's POV

I lay on the couch, trying to get comfortable. It wasn't likely to happen anytime soon, I was about four inches longer than the couch. Jasper wasn't having much better luck upstairs I was betting. I sighed and sat up, about to just give up on the whole idea of sleep. It wasn't like I slept all that great without Bella anyway. I ran my fingers through my hair and stared into the darkness.

"You up, too?"

I turned and saw Jasper coming down the steps. I didn't bother to hide the grin at the pajamas he was wearing. They were Batman pajama pants with a matching black t-shirt. He gave me a look and settled onto the love seat.

"Like your parents never gave you anything embarrassing."

I grinned. "Nothing that I let other people see."

He shrugged. "They're pretty comfortable. And I do love Batman."

"Well who doesn't?" yawned Emmett. "Batman is the shit." He flopped into his chair and looked at us expectantly. "Why are you two up?"

"Have you tried sleeping on our couches?" grumbled Jasper. "We're too big for these things."

I nodded in agreement and stretched my feet out on the coffee table.

"So I guess this is it," said Emmett quietly. "Our last night as roommates."

"I'll be back next year," protested Jasper.

"Yeah, but Edward won't. The Three Amigos are finito."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not leaving town tomorrow, Emmett. We'll be here a few more days."

"It's not the same."

He had a point. The packing had already begun, my room was filled with boxes and so was Bella's. Rosalie was moving in but the original four were no more. It was a little sad. We sat in silence thinking about this.

"We'll come visit," I offered.

Emmett shrugged, almost like a little kid who wouldn't allow himself to be placated.

"You can come visit us. We'll get a two-bedroom just so you'll have a place to stay. I'll even fill it with GI Joes and Batman toys. And Bella will cook. And we'll have woman time."

His lips twitched. "You swear?"

"Well, I'm not sure about the toys, but the rest, sure."

"I'm only coming if there are action figures. Otherwise, what's the point?"

Jasper laughed and threw a pillow at him. "To eat Bella's food? After living without her for a couple months you'll travel to hell and back for her food, I guaran-damn-tee you."

I grinned. "I'm going to get fat. You'll have to roll me down the aisle at your weddings."

Emmett chuckled. "I'll at least lose some weight. That's a bonus."

"I have a proposal," said Jasper suddenly, leaning forward. Emmett and I looked at him expectantly. "We should insist on a guys' weekend every couple of months or so and the girls can get together at the same time. Then we can all have woman time."

I nodded. "I like it. I'll be up for breaks from school and work, I'm sure, and Bella will miss Rose and Alice."

"So when are you going to propose?"

I sighed. "Soon."

"How soon?"

"Soon enough."

Bella's POV

It was a long weekend. Saturday we were all up early to drive to Springfield for Edward's graduation first. Miraculously, his was in the morning and Jasper and Alice were in the afternoon, giving up time to get to both. Rosalie joined us so we ended up with three cars driving everywhere. We stayed in Springfield for lunch then had dinner at a nice restaurant in Champaign after the second graduation. It was late when we finally got back to the house and most people headed off to bed. I hadn't slept well the night before with Alice, she was such a bed hog. I was starting up the steps when Edward caught my hand.

"Bella, Mom and Dad were wondering if we could all talk for a bit before you go to bed?"

I looked at him nervously. "Should I be worried?"

He grinned. "No, they just want to talk about the plans."

I nodded. "Ok. Let me change first."

He grinned and stepped up, kissing me lightly before turning and joining his parents in the living room.

Alice was sitting on the bed in her room chatting with her parents so I changed quickly, pulling on jeans and a t-shirt before heading back downstairs. I curled up on the couch beside Edward and looked at Carlisle and Esme expectantly.

"How are you, Bella?" asked Esme with a smile.

I smiled back. "I'm doing great. Anxious for the next step, but good."

She nodded and her eyes flicked down to my hand then up to Edward. He shifted and I grinned, squeezing his knee lightly.

"We want to invite you to come stay with us before you leave for England next week."

"Oh, thank you. I'd like that." I'd been planning to stay with Carl and Cassie, but this was good, too. No sneaking around for Edward.

"As for this summer," Carlisle leaned forward, "Edward, we want you to just stay with us until Bella gets back. That way you can save some money and we can see you a little more."

Edward nodded. He'd already gotten a position at Carlisle's hospital working as some kind of clerk or something, and he was looking at ten hour days. I wasn't really looking forward to that myself, to be honest.

"When will you be back?" asked Esme, turning to me.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "I'd like to go spend some time in Austin with my friends, more than the time we had together over Spring Break where we were running around crazy all the time. As it is, though, I'm supposed to be with my parents until about three weeks before school starts again."

Esme nodded. "Well, you're welcome at our house whenever and for however long you want to be there. Really, if you two wanted to just live with us we'd be perfectly happy to have you."

I smiled. "Thank you, but I think we'd feel better with our own place. It's weird moving back in with parents after living out on your own."

Esme laughed and nodded. "I completely understand."

We talked for a couple of hours and I relaxed more. I looked forward to the day when Esme and Carlisle didn't make me so nervous. I was comfortable with them after spending time with them, but the first part of each visit seemed to be incredibly awkward. We finally said our good nights and headed upstairs.

Alice was sprawled across my bed and I rolled my eyes and shoved her over, crawling in beside her. She huffed and rolled over, throwing an arm and leg over me. I pushed her again.

"Alice," I grumbled.

"Sorry," she mumbled, rolling away from me. "Your bed is small."

"Yeah yeah."

"How do you and Edward manage it?"

"We usually sleep upstairs and when we sleep here, we spoon."

"Oh."

We lay in silence for a moment and then suddenly, Alice was cuddled up against my back. I jumped and started laughing. She giggled against my back and snuggled closer. "You're comfortable."

"Thanks."

"Are you nervous about moving in with Edward?"

"Yeah. Are you nervous about marrying Jasper?"

"A little. I think everything will be great, though. It'll be weird living here with Rosalie and Emmett, though."

I grinned. "Yeah, not sure who'll be more uncomfortable with that living situation."

She snickered and sighed. "I'm going to miss you."

"You'll miss my wardrobe and my food," I corrected her.

She chuckled. "Well, of course. But I have to say you so your feelings aren't hurt."

I patted her hand that was splayed on my stomach. "I know how it is."

"You can hang out with Jane, though. She's a lot like me."

I grinned. "Yeah, that's true."

"And we'll get together for weekends and stuff, even if I have to drag everyone else along."

I squeezed her hand. "Let's do it. We'll go shopping and I'll cook."

She hugged me and sighed. "I love you Bella."

"I love you too, Alice."


	42. Chapter 42

Edward's POV

"Bella, hurry up," I shouted up the stairs.

"I'm coming," she called back, coming down. Her hair was pulled back in her customary messy bun and she was wearing jeans and a t-shirt with her purse slung over one arm and her carry-on over the other.

Mom smiled up at her. "Do you have everything?"

"Yeah, I hope so." Bella looked frazzled. From what I understood, her parents weren't very happy with her regarding me. They didn't like the fact that I was so much older, that we were living together in the fall, that she was transferring schools, any of it. She was now on her way to spend two months with them and was dreading all the lectures.

Mom laughed. "Your most important items are credit cards, passport, and ticket. Anything else is replaceable."

Bella smiled, relaxing a little. "Well, I've got those for sure." She gave Mom a hug. "See you in a couple months, Esme. Thanks for everything."

Mom rubbed her back. "Anytime, sweetie. You're part of the family, you know."

Bella flushed and looked at me through her eyelashes slyly. I gave her my best innocent smile.

"We need to get headed out," I said, taking her carry-on from her. "You've got a flight to catch."

She nodded and waved to Mom, who waved to us as we headed out.

We sat in silence for most of the ride.

"You ok?" I finally asked.

She shook her head. "No. I mean, I'm conflicted. I'm going to miss you so much, but I miss my parents and I'm really excited to go to England."

I rubbed her knee. "I'll be here when you get back."

"You better be."

I laughed. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

She smiled at me, but it was troubled. I kicked myself inwardly. I still hadn't proposed and here I was, sending her off into the lion's den with no protection of any kind, not even a ring to show off.

I parked the car at the airport and walked in with her to check in and check her suitcase. We stood at the entrance to the security area. The moment of separation was coming faster than I wanted to admit.

I pulled her against me in a crushing hug and she hugged me back. In the nine months we'd known each other, we hadn't been separated like this ever. Only overnights here and there with Rosalie. She wrapped her arms around me and from the way she was shaking I could tell she was crying. I stroked her hair soothingly. She looked up at me and I bent down and kissed her. "You've got to go," I said finally, my voice husky. I didn't want to cry because I knew that she'd lose it if I did.

She nodded and took her carry-on from me and turned to get in line. I was determined to stay until she was through to the other side. I watched as she went through slowly. She was about to put her things on the conveyer belt when a thought struck me.

"Bella!" I shouted.

She turned and looked at me. I grinned and moved as close to her as I could. She pushed through the crowd to get to me.

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her again, deeper this time. She returned it enthusiastically. I released her and dropped to one knee and fumbled in my pocket to pull out the white suede box I'd been carrying around since Christmas. I held it up to her.

"Marry me…please."

A huge grin broke out on her face and she threw herself at me, toppling us over as she kissed me.

Applause broke out in the line behind us. Bella sat up, embarrassed but smiling.

"Is that a yes?" I teased.

She nodded, laughing. "That's more of a hell yes."

I slid my grandmother's ring on her finger and kissed her again. "You're really going to miss your flight now if you don't hurry."

She sighed. "You would propose just before I leave for two months."

I grinned. "Yeah, it'll make the proposal sex all the more fantastic."

She winked at me and planted another kiss on me. She stood up and gathered her things and got back in line. I waited until she was through then loped off towards the car. Before I got there, my phone rang. I grinned when I saw it was her.

"Hello?"

"I miss you already."

"Me too."

"See you in August?"

"Fuck yeah."

***

Tali: So, this is it for now. I've got a sequel in the works, so calm the hell down. I need to take a little break though, so don't expect anything for a while, other than maybe some random one-shots. I'm thinking I'll do some writing over the holidays (which include my birthday, happy birthday to me) and then start posting in the New Year.

Thanks for reading and all the wonderful reviews! Sorry I frustrated you with things but it's my right as author. Thanks for sticking around in spite of your frustrations. ;-)


	43. Note from Tali

Hello my lovelies!

I just wanted to let y'all know that I am working on a sequel to this story and in fact have the first chapter written and part of a second one but…I kind of hate it. It's so frustrating because I _want_ to be inspired with the sequel like I was with this one and I'm just not. I've got ideas for what happens, it just won't flow out of me as easily as the first one did and I feel like when I force it, it comes out absolute crap. I know it's only been a couple of weeks since this story was finished, but still…Other stories are coming to me fairly easily and I'm able to write and post those, I just can't get this to come out. Boo.

So, I've still got hope that I'll get something written that's decent and post-worthy. I'm just _losing _hope that it'll be soon. I promised after the New Year and seeing as how it's taken me this long to write what I've got, that's looking like something of a pipe dream.

I'll keep trying and you all keep reading! I've got other stuff you might enjoy. Thanks for the reviews and support! I'm trying my damndest for you all!

Tali


	44. FINALLY

It's finally up! It's a bit lame at this point, but hopefully y'all can help me out. Send suggestions for what you want to see happen later! "Being in Love with Your Husband." Check it out. ;-)


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